The Kill Floor
by raylen2230
Summary: AS the solar flares hit the earth it throws many poeple and families into the new chaotic post apocalyptic world. What ever happened to the gladers parents? What was it like for them after the solar flares and during the rise of the cranks. How was it like to have you child taken away by wicked. Or for them to give them up to them willingly. Lets see where it takes them...
1. Day 1

**Rating: T-R for violence, language, sexual innuendos and mild adult situations or themes. ( If little kids in the area, they should vacate the premises. Not for the faint of heart does get graffic...lol I'm not that hardcore but this might go a little further then I've tried in the past)**

 **Pairing: Jess and Amy ( are Harriet's moms) and Sonya is going to show up soon. Both of them will be either babies or children.  
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 **Style: I am going to keep the charater pov one person for now. This gives break to some of my readers an makes for easier read BUT... I am skipping back an forth in time alot. You be able to tell where you by the name of the chapter so DAY 1= Day of the flares. Closer to the flares lower the day number. The cranks came up later that year so im going to say 8months later will be DAY 240... chapter three might be DAY 3. Do you get it. if you don't message me. Give it a few chapters you'll catch on.  
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 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or places, nor do I make any profit from them. and just a warning if you haven't read all the book there is spoilers.  
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 **P.s. I will say please don't take offense to some of the scenes in this story. some of them may be graffic and or disgusting when i get around to it. Plus chapters will be short so have fun reading. Review Review Review and ENJOY.  
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I walked back into the living room to see Jess staring at the TV. She was standing there with her arms crossed, directly in front of it. "Babe…" I asked, because there was a slight alarm behind the announcer which made him hard to understand from here. "Babe?" I asked a little louder an she popped to. There was a new panic about her as she started to rush about the living room grabbing pictures out of frames and clothes that were strung about here an there. I refocused on the TV again, the newscaster was telling everyone to get below grounds as far as possible. It was distracting so I muted the TV.

A scientist came on the Tv next an started spewing some bullshit they put it slow people terms on banners across the bottom saying they were flares strong enough to penetrate our atmosphere. "Is this for real?" I questioned turning quickly on my heels to follow her around the room. I was thinking this was some nat geo prep show at first. I was starting to feel her panic. Jess rushed into our bed room and walked out with a half packed bag of clothes. "Grab our heaviest coats and your leather jacket. I stood there clueless for a moment. "Amy get moving we gotta go." She snapped, I jumped because she's never yelled at me before. I grabbed my leather jacket along with her old ski coat.

"IS this good?" I asked feeling like a child, only following her every move for ques. Then I thought, "What is this going to do." I quizzed, "scorch the earth. We have to get to the subway." She explained an I moved to the cabinet. "I should bring my gun then." I told her setting down the jackets and opening it up. Jess jus starred at me for a second. She hates guns, we were robbed last year so my dad got me a gun for Christmas. I keep it locked up all the time and no one knows I have it but her. She still gets nervous around it, I mean literal shaking. "Yea" she whispered. I went to grab the glock. Then the coats and moved to the front door.

"Wait a sec, we need another bag." She told me, so I went for my book bag on the couch and tossed it to her. Jess ran into the kitchen and packed some food. I looked for more bullets in the living room dresser. When I returned to the door jess joined me. I opened it and exited out into the hallway. It was getting louder out here by the second. Everybody was yelling, people were just running shoving others out of the way. Lugging luggage behind them or in front. Some carried nothing they looked like they just wanted out of the building.

My neighbor was piling suitcases just outside his door while his wife ushered his two small children out the small apartment. Jess an I are barely comfortable in our one bedroom. I don't understand how they could be. Jess tells me all the time its probably all they could afford like us. I turn to lock the door when I feel her arms wrap around my waist and pull me away from the door. "The door's…" "Bae lets go." She interrupts me and pulls me away from the door. "Someone going to steal all our stuff" I yelped complaining as we walked down the hall. "We don't have time to waste." She started to tell me as she pulled me along. I never liked being pulled along so I caught up with her. We were dodging people as they walked out of their apartments.

The hallway quickly filled with people as we ran to the stairs. I knew most all of tenants that lived in our building but in the rush of the all the noise and panic we all became strangers. Everybody was looking out for themselves, pushing and shoving towards the stairwell. I didn't realize how many people lived in my building till now. Now that were all in a tiny space.

Getting to the stair well I pushed Jess out the hall door in front of me. She grabbed onto my shirt as people started to push past her. "I'm right behind you." I told her as she started for the stairs. I kept thinking I was going to fall, there wasn't enough space for the amount of people forcing their way through to the bottom of the stairwell. It was a panicked mess. I've been shoved in the back an side few times already.

When we broke out onto the street I looked up, there was this weird orange glow between grey swirling clouds. That was a mistake, It all gave me the creeps. Someone bumped into me hard running out of the building. A few others stopped to stare at the odd Sky. Someone grabbed my arm pulled me along again. When I look to see who it was it wasn't Jess. It was Jessica's ex Jenn. She lived two floors above us. Why we still lived in the same building as her ex? Last person I wanted to see. We all got along evenly. We almost never saw each other so I guess it works. Jen is a photographer, also a vet. She travels to take her pictures. Jess ran up alongside me so I jerked away from Jen she glanced over her shoulder but kept running once she caught sight of Jess. Jens jacket flared in the wind and I saw this giant knife secured to the back of her belt. I shouldn't have counted her out as soon as I did.

We moved with the panicked crowds. I couldn't see but a few feet ahead because there was so many people. Most were rushing to cars. There was people in the street not sure which way to run. Other people were pounding on building doors trying to get inside. Jess was always freaking out about things like this. We always watched Tv shows and debated how the world bite it but I didn't think it would be this. I shook my head as I ran behind the two girls, this could be the end. No this was jus a terrorist attack and we need run because of it. That's all, everybody should be fine. I hope.

Jess and Jen ran down into the subtrans and I followed quickly. Then there was this flash of light, people pushed and shoved into the narrow stairwell behind me. I almost fell. Then I felt it, the heat.

There was a searing pain on the back of my neck that I don't even think suntan lotion could save me from. I cried out stopping in my tracks. Maybe a little fear frozen like everyone else. Jess reached back hearing me cry out and pulled me forward. I didn't even realize that the crowds had started to swallow me and they started to break way. I glanced back to see bodies crammed up against each other pushing and fighting to get down the stairs out of the searing heat cause by the flares. A few people at the top of the stairwell burst into flames. Caught in full exposer of the flares enormous heat. Shouting quickly turned into cries and screams in pain. That type of scream was horrible.

When we made it to the bottom the crowd fanned out an ran in both direction down the tunnel. It was pretty much pitch black, but for a few flash lights that lit up here an there. The small light close to the tops of the tunnels were out. I didn't even know if we brought flash light. Then Jen turned on a light, "What the…We have to put something on that." Jen demanded as she shined a light on my neck, "No we should keep moving, it's going to get worse down here, an we have to get away from these people before they go apocalypse crazy." I told them, remember all the shows where it showed people rioting and tearing up the city as a society fell. "You'll get n infection, this burn is pretty bad." Jess warned as she went to reach for it. "Lets get somewhere first. Fix me after." I told them, as I went to lightly touch it. Trying to see how bad it was for myself.

Jen went to see for herself, instead I grabbed Jess's hand and pulled her along the tunnel. "Come on Jen." I demanded as she went to look at my neck as well. "Run." Someone screamed as a crowd of people from the bottom of the stairs half burnt up an some still on fire. The three of us ran. I kept running I didn't even notice the door we went through. All I felt was a pair of hands grab me an pull me backwards.

Jen, jess and I Ran down a stairwell till we thought we were far enough down and stopped at a random floor. It was cool down here and the subtrans weren't working so the tunnels weren't as hot as they were close to the surface. I could hear other people but they weren't anywhere near close to us. We walked slowly down the tunnel till it broke off to another tunnel where we could hear a lot more people coming in our direction. Jen quickly found a small room so we parked it in there. There wasn't much in there but some shelves an a small coffee table no chairs. So Jess sat on the table and I sat between her legs.

Jess fiddled with her purse then I felt this cool sensation on the back of my next where the burn was. "What is that?" I asked. "Lube." She said calmly. "WHAT?" I yelped, "I'm just kidding…but it feels better doesn't it?" Jess questioned. Whatever he was doing was working. I just hope she wasn't really using lube. "Did that help?." Jess asked. I turned to look an see what she was using. Some small tube of something. I looked over to see Jen tuck away a small red pack. I really shouldn't have counted her out. She came way more prepared then me.

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 **Ok so ive really been holing onto this fanfic for a while just cuz i wasn't sure about it. But i saw the second movie for the 5th time the other day an thought what the hell... so leave a review let me know what you think... First three chapters are written so I will be posting again tomorrow. and this weekend some time...**

 **oNe lOve- Ray**


	2. Day 240

Day-240 (8 months after the solar flares)

I hate leaving Jess alone in the hut by herself in the morning while I check the traps for caught game. Jess normally tells me that she doesn't wake up till I get back but I don't believe her. I miss my old life and how it used to be. I miss living in our stupid apartment; now I'm stuck on a permanent camping trip.

When we first got here all we did was work. Work to fortify the camp. Then we had to work to keep the camp safe. After that we had to work on the camp because more people found out where we were. So we started building in the trees going up, now most of us live in tree houses that spans this part of the canopy. We have one of the biggest settlements here in the mountains. Other left to make other settlements modeling them after ours by building up in the trees. I heard there was people starting to go back into the cities. But I bet some people never left.

Once I'm done out in the woods I check in with Jenn and normally she just tells me to go home. Unless there is woodwork to be done. I get that talent from my dad, I helped him build his cabin when he retired after I got out of highschool two years ago. Oh don't worry, I get to take a day off every six days; I guess you would say it's my Sunday. If you're wondering what I'm doing I'm out in the middle of the woods now, like I said I'm checking my traps. This isn't work to me but I do enjoy the time out here away from the settlement. There's plenty of MRE's to go around lately because of the military drops that have been coming in from some small government convoys. There's said to be a few bases that have been re-opened under them.

"Amy, are you almost done?" Sam shouted in the distance, "Yea!" I screamed back as I undid the last loop untying a knot and picked up the small rabbit. I caught two critters today, they should be enough for my hut and Sam's put together. If you're wondering, adopted her as my little sister, she has a lot of younger siblings. Since her dad is gone there's no one to let her know what to do. She's clueless. Which is pretty much just like me, only difference is I've been camping before. In all, her mom depends on her for the trapped food. I don't mind giving her the extra rabbit because I normally average two to three a day.

By the time I was done Sam was already walking in my direction. "Hey …did you hear that?" she asked as she got close, I listened because I didn't hear anything. When the wind stopped it sounded like some screams, "That's coming from home." Sam noted, she's got some good hearing. Cuz I didn't hear a thing. Sam turned to take off running back through the woods.

The trees aren't as dense here, I had to almost leap to grab onto her. "Wait." I demanded, "My mom…she won't be able…" Sam struggled against my grip. "I know, but you can't just going rushing up there. We need to find out what happened." I explained, and the girl relaxed an stood next to me. I finished stuffing the rabbit in the bag and nodded. Sam walked ahead of me quickly. She's about my height with long dark brown hair that was normally in a long braid. She's pretty cute to most of the little boys in the camp trying to ask her out. It's funny watching them squirm around her. It all makes me wonder if I was like that around Jess when I was their age. Which was only like a few years ago but it feel like its been forever since the solar flares. Months felt more like years or whatever.

As Sam and I got closer to what we now call home the screams got louder. "Wait, just wait. Wait till it stops. We can't do anything to help them if we're dead too." I tried to argue with her but she fought against me. Yanking her arm away, but I grabbed round her waist. "Samantha Stop, we are going to go in there. I just want to wait." I demanded and she starred up at me as I hugged her tightly to me. I didn't mean to scare her if I did, I know how she felt. Jess is in there. Rushing in there wouldn't have helped. I'm not planning on sticking myself in the same boat.

About ten minutes went by and the screams died down then I heard something I hadn't heard in a long time. "A BERG" Sam yelped and tripped over her feet falling on her ass. A berg hummed and I watched as it flew away just over the trees. The trees bent as it took off further into the sky. "Holy shit." I muttered as I reached down to give a hand up to Sam. "Now we run." I told her as I stood her upright. We each took off running in a steady stride back to towards our small settlement. It hasn't been the first time I left Jess alone and something happened to her. I'm such a shitty girlfriend, how am I going to be able to take care of her and a baby. The last time this settlement saw a berg they brought us supplies. That was in the beginning. Its been mostly trucks or modified busses since then. The screams were menacing but they were dying down. Dying, were people dying?

As we ran we came to the path that led to our settlement. I braced myself thinking about the Day of the solar Flares. I'm not sure which was worse to hear. I slowed to a walk and made Sam slow down with me. A man came running in our direction frantically, "RUN…" He yelled as he passed us. "Wait, what happened?" I asked an he slowed just a little and turned still walking backwards. "The berg they…the people with guns shot these…people jus started dropping…running, screaming. You shouldn't go there. You should run." He blurted out explaining. After, the panicked man took off into the trees. "RUN…" He yammered on as he continued to run disappearing into the woods. I glanced back at Sam an she was further down the beaten track. I caught up with her, she was crying a little. "Jus take it easy, we live on the outside of town. Maybe they're okay." I tried to soothe her knowing we could be walking into anything.

Cautiously walking up to the first few houses all we could see was people running and trying to get into huts. I watched as a few tried to pick up people on the ground and carry them to safety. The further in we got the more bodies littered the ground, everywhere. Like they fell in mid movement or right where they were standing. As we moved I brought my shirt up to my mouth. "Are these people dead?" Sam asked as she bent down, "I don't know, don't touch that." I told her as I saw what she was going to pick up. A tube. It was a small silver tube that looked like a pill sticking out of the ground. But it was the size of your thumb. I kicked one over to see a needle sticking out of the end. A dart? How could something so small be so deadly?

I guess these darts never connected with a body, there's a few scattered here and there. I moved and pulled Sam behind me as we made our way to our huts. It felt like I had never been there, the place was a ghost town. Then I saw them, they were everywhere. The pill shaped darts. What didn't hit a body was in the ground, a wooden post. Roof or a side of a wall, the little darts were scattered everywhere in everything. What was in them?

I got to my door and Sam ran right to her door across the path. I waited a minute because she would only have to peek in and see if anyone was in there. There wasn't so I figured all of her brothers and sisters were with Jess. I went to open the door but it was locked. So I knocked on it. "Jess open up its me." I called out to her. Someone opened the door, I didn't see Jess at first behind the kids, then I noticed her standing in the door frame to our room. Sam ran to them relived to see that they were all here. Only Sam's mom wasn't here. Jess pushed past the two of the boys and limped towards me. She hugged me tightly. "I thought that you…" "I'm fine…See look…babe, I wasn't even here when it happened." I told her, I could feel her breathe a sigh of relief in my arms. "It's a…I was asleep when the kids jus rushed in here waking me up. They said something hit there mom, she fell unconscious with whole bunch of other people so I jus locked us up in here." She said frantically, I hugged onto her again. "I was just as worried, we're going to be okay." I told her trying to ease whatever worries I could.

When Jess calmed down I turned to the rest of the group, there all orphans now. I shuttered with the thought. Knowing my parents were probably dead was one thing. Seeing Sam lose both her parents, that's another. I really don't even want to think about it right now.

"Is everyone else okay, did you get hit by the darts?" I asked them, the two boys turned to me. Sam glanced up at me troubled, she held out her younger brother Mathew's arm showing me where he was hit with one. There was a little red hole surrounded by a bruise. "How do you feel buddy?" I asked him, he shrugged his shoulders. "I feel fine." He told me then smiled a little. I ruffled his hair. "Okay we'll see, just let us know if you feel any different okay." I told him and he nodded. Sam kid brother Nathan was about thirteen but he was tall for his age. Looking at him you would think he was a little older. "Where's Sonya? What happened to your mom kid?" I asked Nathan.

"Sonya is in the room asleep. My Mom, she was hit by a dart and she jus fell to the ground. I didn't know what to do so I picked up Sonya and we jus ran here." He said explained. He was shaking little. "Everyone thought they might have been here to take us away. To some place better, like a rescue…That's what people were saying. We all ran to see…" he continued calming down a little. "Well maybe she's fine jus like Mathew. We should go look for her." Sam suggested, I shook my head thinking it was a bad idea. We don't know what people were shot with I don't really want to know. What if they turn into flesh eating zombies? The world already ended how much worse can these woods get. I watched a little dazed that we were having yet another crisis as Jess started to walk out the door behind Sam.

"Wait" I ordered them and stuck my arm out in front of the two boys before they could follow. "Your not going out there. You should pack Jess were leaving. I'll go find Jen. Sam you go pack for you, Sonya and the boys but come right back here. Nathan don't leave. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, all of you leave without me, go down the mountain. " I told her as I moved towards the door. Sam shook her head in protest and went to walk out, I pulled her back into the hut. "Your just going over there to pack nothing else." I ordered sam, she took in a deep breath and nodded leaving the hut.

Jess turned to some plastic bins started to go through them. I took hold of her arm pulling her in my direction. She bowed her head as she moved to me. "I jus…make sure you come back with her. She's stubborn." Jess explained. She starred down at the floor while holding the lower part of her stomach. "I know, don't wait for me. I can catch up even if you guys leave." I tried to ease her worry. But the girl is tuff, unfortunately her limp will make her slow. I pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear then bent down and kissed her stomach. "I'll be back Derick." I told him. "It's a girl." Jess complained and I smiled while shaking her head. "Don't listen to her you're a boy." I whispered to the baby and stood to kiss her again. We made our way to the door, I kissed her a little deeper, "EWWW" Mathew cried and we both laughed a little. I forgot for a second they were even in here. So I let go of Jess, "BE right back." I told them all as I left the hut.

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 **I Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you mazerunner26 for the first review... Since you've gotten this far go ahead a leave a review. It always helps when writers have input.**

 **One love -Ray**


	3. Day 1- part 2

**So Im glad you've gotten this far in the story. To answer some questions. Sam is a teen that Amy meets and takes her under her wing. Thanks mazerunner26, There deff be more linking to the characters from the story as I go. Amy and Jess are in their early twenties as well just in case anyone wanted to know. ... So glad your still here, leave a review after this chapter. I like to know what you think.  
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 **-Ray**

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 **Day 1- six or so hours later**

"You should turn off the light. Save the battery." Jen ordered. So I switched off the light and I pulled jess closer to me. "She's in a mode already" Jess whispered. This cubby hole was starting to get warm, tensions were rising. "I heard that." Jen spat. I didn't like sitting in the dark. I don't know how long we've been down here. Hour's maybe. I could hear people moving outside. I don't know what was worse, coming down the stairs running from the sun flares seeing people in flames or hearing these panicked people. It was pitch black dark in the room without the light. We used those industrial flash lights. They last. The only thing helping me keep my composer now was Jess sitting next to me.

"We have to go see what's going on." Jen said, "Are you kidding me." Jess protested, sitting up out of my arms. "No we need to stay right here." Jess continued to argue. "I need to know the situation, I wanna know if this is it. I'm sure the flares are gone. We've been down here for more the a few hours." Jen explained, looking at her watch. "No, were not…". In the middle of Jess talking I flipped on the light. She shielded her eyes for a second. "Sorry but she's kind of right. If the flares are done. We should look for a way out." I added, Jess gave me a look. "I'm not agreeing with this." She muttered and I took out my gun from the back of my pants. I felt better knowing that Jen had a knife. Makes me a little more willing to go, so she would have back up if something popped off. But I'm leaving this with jess, she'll be alone. "Take it." I told her.

Jess took the gun and set it on the floor in front of her. Jen slipped out the door. I kissed Jess's cheek because she wouldn't look up at me and then moved to the door. Jen was standing a few feet down the tunnel but there was no one else. So we started to walk back the way we came and up the stairwell. The heat up here was awful. My shirt started to stick to my skin immediately. When we got to the long tunnel a boy ran full speed at us and went to pass us but Jen grabbed him. "What are you running from?" Jen asked, the boy tried to jerk away but Jen had a good grip on his arm. "There's a wave coming. Right for the city." he scrambled to get out of her grip. "How do you know?" I asked. "Some nerdy lookin kid an old guy with this group told me. But I gotta go find my mom. She's still down here." He said and Jen let him go. The boy kept running.

"C'mon." I said and pulled Jen back towards the stairwell. She looked down the tunnel longingly, like she wanted to run. I pulled on her shirt, not hard I just wanted her attention. "Jen we need you." I told her. She turned back to me, placing her hand on my shoulder briefly and then we both went hurdling back down the stairwell. Skipping steps here and there. Before I knew it we were back at the door but it was open. I scrambled to get inside the cubby hole we found. Jess was facing the wall and laying on her side. There is a small pool of blood by her leg. "I didn't hear a shot." Jen said. I moved slowly to her. The gun was gone, I couldn't find it. "Babe." I asked but she still didn't move. "We gotta get outta here." I said as I turned her over and pulled her onto my lap a little to prop her up against the wall. I looked to see where the blood was coming from when I noticed a large gash down the side of her thigh. I took off my belt and tied it off closer her hip. "She's in some kind of shock. Were gonna have to carry her." Jen said kneeling down next to us. I nodded and moved to pick her up by her arms, putting my forearms under her arm and Jen moved to her legs. We maneuvered our way out the door and jogged as fast as we could.

It took us longer because we were carrying Jess. She just wasn't waking up for me. "Jen, how much further." I asked her, because the last turn we took was different. She said were headed to a sky rise. "We won't make it out of the city but we can make it up into a building." she explained. I think we're trying to avoid people. I just followed Jen. I only wanted out of here. I stopped paying attention to where we were going. We haven't seen but a few people in this tunnel of the subtrans.

Then all of a sudden she stopped. "Were here?" Jen said an I looked up to see a ladder. Are you kidding me. Jen set Jess's legs down softly. She was still bleeding pretty badly. "It's an office building." Jen explained. "We don't know what's up there." I told her. "I'm going to go look." She said as she went to climb. A lot of these subtrans tunnels connected into the buildings. So that they can get the supplies they needed from the transports quicker. It was the new age loading dock. Most of the tunnels ran right under the buildings. This maintenance ladder was probably was part of one of them.

I kneeled down next to jess. "Baby…baby you have to wake up. Jessica" I said as I shook her shoulder a little bit. "mmmm" she moaned, "Ahhhhhh" then she sat up an cried out in pain. Grabbing at the top of her leg. "Jess…Look at me Jess. Calm down." I told her. She was still crying a little she didn't say anything he just stared at me. "I put my belt around it for now. You're going to be fine baby...We have to go… you have to get up." I told her an she jus starred at me. There was something wrong with her. "Jen…" I called out to her Ex. She climbed back down the ladder. "We don't have time for this." She said, then I heard this loud rushing sound. "Jess…we gotta go…you gotta get up." Jen demanded as she went to pull on her arm. "No time to argue." Jen said, I went for the other arm an helped her stand. Jen went back for the ladder. I was a little bigger then Jess so I was confident that I could almost let her sit on my legs as we climbed.

I started to help push her up the ladder as Jen climbed up an d reached down. It was hard to tell at my angle but I did what I could. Then I saw it, down the tunnel. This wind hit me I could tell it was the water the boy was talking about before. "Jen…" I called out to her but I didn't see her. Then it came, and the searing hot water hit my feet throwing me off balance for a moment. I was high enough up that it wasn't able to take me with the flow. Moved up some more under Jess.

The water was muddy brown and still felt hot once I was out of it. Feeling the heat coming off of it is unsettling. What if it was just as bad where we're going? I went to climb another ladder rung when Jess was pulled up through the hole by someone. I starred up and climbed another rung when a hand was offered to me. I looked up to see it was some guy. He pulled me out of the ladder well.

When I got to my feet I looked around. Jess was laying a few feet away. Jen and another Woman sat over her. I moved to her head and held it. She was unconscious. "We need to get higher, there's more water coming." The woman said as continued to look over jess. "I can help her." She said, the man walked back over to us. "Let get moving then." He said as he went to pick up Jess off the floor. "Follow me, I work here." He said, and at that moment I felt lucky we ran into these people. They looked like one of those a married couples you see on TV.

We followed hem up this winding stairs, "Just have to make one stop then we'll go further up." He claimed. Two flights up we stopped on a floor and headed for what looked like something that used to be a restaurant. Most of the windows were blown out and the room looked like it had been through a huge explosion. Gust of hot wind blew into the room through the thrashed windows. I felt like I was in a desert up here. I thought the whole world would look just like this. How screwed are we. We probably did it to ourselves with killing the ozone and such.

"How did you survive in here?" I asked Sean as we walked. "This used to be a five star restaurant. My family and I was using a free dinner from the company when it hit. Chefs table. A Lucky table. Everyone else split but me and a few of the staff and my family rode it out in freezer. All metal super freezer. The cold box worked like a charm. Were all okay. Can't say he same for everyone who left. We sat in there for about six hours before we came out. An saw her downstairs." He explained as we moved through the burnt restaurant.

We walked through the large kitchen and down a stairwell, there was a large metal door. "This is my wife Lucy, I'm Sean. Your about to meet my rug-rats." He explained, his wife Lucy opened the big metal door and out ran a very young boy and older teenage girl. They were cute, and looked just like their parents. Another boy slowly walked out followed by a few more people in disheveled uniforms. The young boy was holding a baby girl. There was a body laying by the door that was covered with a jacket. It looked like he was badly burned. "C'mon guys let's get out of here it's safe." Lucy told her children. They all looked relieved and filed out past us into the restaurant.

We must have went up ten floors when the water came. A few levels below us was taken out. All of it, just gone. When it started to climb slowly we moved up few more floors, but it kept coming.

Sean an Lucy led us all upstairs out of harms way. When we stopped we were on a floor with a lot of offices. I ran to a nearby desk an shoved everything off of it. Something in me always wanted to do that. Sean placed Jess on the desk. "Sammy honey, you got my purse." Lucy asked as she went to look at Jess's leg. "She's could've bleed out down there if you guys didn't use this belt." She stated, as Sam came back with a small purse. "You're a doctor." I asked, "No, but I can sew this up with a small sewing kit. Didn't think I would ever use the thing. I'm more of a kitting type momma." she explained a she took it out a small kit a started looking for a needle. After she found a needle she pieced it together with some string. I couldn't watch the rest so I moved around to Jess's face. She was still asleep. Which was probably a good thing because I know this is going to hurt. What the hell happened? I shouldn't have left her alone.

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 **Thanks for reading and a major shout out to mazerunner26. Thanks for the motivation...Anyways Review review review...**

 **once again**

 **One love - Ray**


	4. Day 240 continued

**Day 240 Same moments after Amy left her hut.**

I moved through the camp, a few steps away from the cabin and took my scarf out to cover my face. I think these people were really dead. Not even dying, they were really dead. They were everywhere the bodies. Like wat ever hit them happened instantly and they fell right where they stood. I hadn't seen anything like this since this whole apocalyptic world thing started. I was kind of spared by the water that swept away most of the bodies in the city. But here, some of these people I had become friends with but others I didn't recognize to well. I usually kept to my side of the settlement, unless I had to do some wood work. There was getting to be that many people here, we weren't over crowded yet. At least I don't think we were here.

Jen knew mostly everybody. Or everybody knew her, she was the boss or mayor of this place. She would always think of a way out of things. Like a food shortage or no ammo for freaks that come visiting wanting to rob us. She taught everyone how to use a bow an arrow instead. She said you can't run out of Arrows in the woods if you know how to make them. From the old saying give a man a fish. He can feed his family. Teach him how to fish an he can eat all year.

I ran right to the tree house using mostly back alleyways. When I found ladder and moved up into the canopy. She wanted a room overlooking everything so she got it. I could hear other voices in her room with her. "Everyone that was hit is dead. The rest are hiding in their huts." One man said. "Do we know if their coming back. What if they come back to finish us off." A woman asked. "They're not. Would've been hit already. It's been a while." Jen snapped, as I opened the door. "Look we need to start burning the bodies." The same man recommended. They didn't even care that I was in there. They were deep talk about the situation I guess. "I'm not touching those bodies." Jen said, "Whoever does that just might be signing their death warrant." She told them. "We have to do something or else this place is going to become a rotting death camp. WE'LL HAVE MORE PROBLEMS THEN JEN." He detailed, I stood back in the corner. Waiting it out. Waiting for the meeting to finish. "Have it your way. This place is all yours. I'm leaving." Jen said as she walked away from the table and right to me. "C'mon." she said as she pushed me back out the door.

"What was all that?" I asked, "I'm getting the fuck up outta here." She said, an caught me off guard. I didn't expect she would want to leave. It's her ship. So to speak. This place was all her idea. "Really." I said, "Let's go, I was planning on leaving anyways. There's no way I'm staying here after what just happened. It's not safe anymore." She said as she made her way down a make shift ladder. "I'm going to get Jacob, Lock and Hannah and we're getting out of here. Go to your cabin and wait for me." Jen ordered. "I'm coming with you." I said as stepped off the ladder and onto to solid ground while trying to avoid a body. Jen starred at me hard for a second, then shook her head annoyed. "C'mon." She relented.

As we walked I pulled my scarf back up, Jen pulled up her shirt and held it over her face. "What happened?" I asked her, as we maneuvered our way to her friend's places. "A berg came, an shot everyone." She said quickly. "Jen.." I said. "This berg, it flew right over the market, everyone flocked to it because of what happened last time. That berg dropped a lot of supplies. We really needed it. It was a lot of supplies im telling you, cause I know you missed it last time too. That time, besides what we put away in storage we gave a lot of people had extra food for a little bit. It was nice." She started, we continued to walk. I got an uneasy feeling about the rest of her story. Mainly because I heard most everything from a distance.

"The crowd was huge, I almost forgot we had that many people here. The berg lowered itself a little then lowered this ramp. Four men in motorcycle helmets an green suits walked to the end of the ramp. The only thing in their hands were guns. After the first person hit the ground they came down like rain. Hitting every person around me. I guess I got lucky. I scrambled with everyone else as they ran. There wasn't anything anyone could even do. So we just ran. It was awful. Worse than the war." Jen exclaimed as I followed closely behind her. She never talked about the war. I wasn't sure if anything could be worse than war till now. "I could hear the screaming in the woods." I told her and she looked back briefly.

We had gotten closer over these last few months. I guess we've seen each other that much. She older then me so I guess we all became more like family. The closest thing to family we got. It would suck to lose someone now.

It took us a good while to move seeing as how every other turn we took we were surrounded by bodies. We were trying to avoid them. I glanced up every few steps, when Jen stopped. As I looked up to see what she was staring at. Hanna busted out of her hut an kept running but she fell, tripping over a root. She was in a hurry, Jen rushed over to her side. "Hannah," Jenn said. Hannah glanced up at her. I think Jen likes her but she has a boyfriend so you know how that goes.

I jogged up behind them an Jen helped her stand. "Ben he just… he just…" She repeated, she closed her eyes really tightly. Ben is Hannah's boyfriend. "Just relax, take a deep breath…" Jen tried to calm her. Hannah hugged onto her, catching her off guard but she returned the gesture. I walked towards the open door and peeked in. I could see a set of legs sticking out of a doorway further in the hut. Blood pooled around his shoulders. I moved inside, I walked to the edge of the blood an saw his head. It was bashed inward. I followed a trail of blood up the wall where it splattered on a log in the window frame.

I took steps backward out of the hut when I ran into someone. I turned to see Jen, "Don't." I stopped her from walking past me. "He's dead." I told her taking her by the hand an walking out of the hut with her in tow. Hannah was sobbing now. "I can't just leave him in there." She cried. Jen closed the door behind her. "We have to go, NOW." Jen practically screamed. She had to, she was crying that loud. We started to move again. Hannah cried the whole way.

People were starting to come out of their huts. As we walked we saw Lock an Jacob in the crowd, they had a little boy in their arms. I didn't know the kid and he didn't look like either of them. "Who is this?" I asked, Jacob handed me the boy. "She called him Newton. This woman over there she was crying about something in her head. She made us take him." Jacob explained. I glanced around, we all looked worse for wear, but since we had everybody I need to get back to jess an the kids. I glanced down at the little boy. He buried his head in my shoulder. He was cute kid but dirty. Jen looked around people were starting to move some of the dead. They must have gotten something organized. "Where will we go?" Lock asked, "Down the mountain." Jen stated. "Let's go." She ordered an we all filed in behind her.

Jen took us all back the same path back to her place and outside the settlement. When we stopped and everyone sat down I stayed standing. "I have to go back." I told her, "For who Jess, she'll slow us down." Lock said, I barely knew him but I was already not liking him right now. The guy was cocky and annoying while we were building this place. He always had something to say. He stood, Jen walked over an stood in front of him. "She won't leave her, neither will I. Go get her we'll be right here." Jen told me as she pushed Locks shoulder and pushed him back onto his ass. I handed over Newton. Than I started to walk away an Lock stood back up. I don't know why she brought him. She must have found him for a reason. The rest of the group I couldn't say much for. Hannah hasn't said much but cried since we left her cabin. Jacob said hi but he doesn't talk much like me so it stayed at that. The kid in my arms just clinging to my shoulder. "Jacob do ya mind?" I asked as I motioned to him. He walked over an took little Newton. Then I left.

I made my way through the outside of the huts avoiding the large groups of people being organized by the people that were in the Hut with Jen earlier. I made y way to my hut an opened the door. Sam sat on the floor with Sonya in her lap. Sam stood an put a backpack on. Nathan walked up to me, "Did you find her?" Jess asked walking out of the room with my backpack it was one of those huge marine ones. I found it. I'm guessing she didn't pack much because it didn't look full. I took it from her an swung it over my shoulder. We had a crowd ourselves, "Yea, there's a group of us. We gotta go meet them outside the camp." I explained to everyone. Nathan took up Mathew and then put his sweat shirt over his head. "Good idea." I said an turned to Sam before walking over to the door. I threw my bookbag over my shoulders. Sam kinds of did he same thing with Sonya with her sweater but Sonya kept pulling it down. "Jus cover her eyes." I told her.

They all stood at the door behind me. "Okay there a lot of bodies around still so I want you look at each others backs" I told them. Then I opened the door an d we wall left.

We walked along the main path, people we're dragging bodies somewhere off into the woods. There wasn't many helping. I covered y mouth again an lead them to where Jen was waiting outside the settlement. As we walked up Sam ran to Jen an hugged her. That was weird, I now she hasn't seen her all day but damn. I thought she saved that for me. "Your okay?" Jess asked as Jen let go an kind of stepped backward. "I'm fine." She replied. Then glanced around at everyone. "You brought Kids with you too." Lock opened his mouth again. Man if I had a gun right now. "These kids are only gonna be a headache… I'm getting one right now." He continued as he turned an walked away from us. Jen Hannah an Jacob followed. I looked at Sam an then Jess who walked back to take hold of my hand an we all followed Jen,

"We gotta get far away from this place." Jacob said, as we walked. "Why do you say it like that?" I asked him. "Those tube just gave me a bad feeling. Why would everyone fall dead instantly. Something like that would either have to be poison or viral. Either way I don't wanna find out if it was the ladder. No telling what's going to happen." He added as he off walked into the woods. We al followed.

Jen took the lead from Lock. As the forest grew dense Jen took out her bowing knife and started to hack limbs and bushes out of the way. There was nothing for miles we just walked.

* * *

 **Another shout out to mazerunner26, making me want to stay ahead of the game. I'll be posting again in the next few days. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter, thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review. Review review review. I like to know what you think. It helps.**

 **One Love- _Ray_**


	5. Day 15

**Day 15**

This building is so hot. "Jess…" I said trying to get her attention. But she just sat there an starred off into space. Jen came to sit down next to me. "She's still not talking." Jen asked. I shook my head. Jess didn't even look at us. She normally don't t like it when people are talking about her in the same room. She still didn't say anything. "Jess… What's wrong?" Jen asked Jess, taking hold of her shoulder. "Jen..." I snapped, giving her a look, but I don't think she felt threatened. "What, she can't not talk forever. Even if it's just a scream." Jen reached forwards and pinched Jess in arm. "OWW" Jess yelped an held her arm to look at it but only went right back into her little turtle shell. I gave Jen a good little tap on the shoulder. "Hey…Thought it might wake her up." Jen explained. "Let's give her some space." Jen added, I huffed but I stood up and Jen stood with me. We both walked to the door for the office and started down the hall.

I could hear kids playing and laughing. They hadn't played all week, I thought for a second how I might have never heard laughter again. But I guess this family is well rounded enough to bounce back. It was nice but it only made me think of Jess again. I walked past the door where Mr. Sean and Mrs. Lucy was sitting in. I stopped walking and walked back into their room. It took Jen a second but she followed.

"Hey girls." Sean greeted, "hey." I said an sat on the desk across from the chair from where they were sitting. "How is she?" Lucy asked, "Same." I muttered, "She hasn't told you." Lucy asked an I sat up interested. "Told me what?" I asked. "I would have thought she might have said something by now. This might not be good you should know there were marks on her inner thighs, bruises. I asked her and she only nodded but I'm pretty sure whoever… they assaulted her." She tried to say as easily as possible. I stood an went to go back to the room but someone grabbed my arm. I gawked up to see Jen, "Wait, you can't just go rushing in there. If she wanted you to know she would've told you." Sean added as he touched his wife's shoulder stepping forward as well. I wanted to scream, I left her the gun an she didn't…or she couldn't. or… my… holy shit.

I sat on the floor where I was standing and buried my face in my hands. They might have used the gun. The thought ran over an over in my head as I thought what I could have done if I had stayed. I never killed anyone. Haven't had to but I would have that day. And I know could right now.

Someone grabbed me by the shoulders an forced me to stand. Must be Sean. "doesn't mean you can break down. You gotta be strong kiddo." He told me brushing my shirt of because most of the floor was covered in ash. "But I…" I started to say. I couldn't think. "C'mon let's take a walk." Jen said as she took hold of my arm an we walked out of the room back into the hallway. We turned back to walk in the direction of the room Jess was in.

I didn't say anything. I went to walk back in the room but Jen stopped me. "ah C'mon…Were taking a walk." She repeated. I huffed and kept walking with her. We walked to the window and looked down. The water was still there, it had receded some but not by much. Jen turned and we both headed for the set of the stairs.

She let go of my arm and we both jogged down the stairs a few floors. I really didn't want to go. I wanted to hold Jess till she said something. Even if it was get off I didn't care I just wanted her to be okay.

"I came down here earlier." Jen stated bringing me back from my daze. "What did you find?" I asked, "Nothing but some extra water down in a closet." She described. "There might be some be some food down here we should take a look." she determined. I didn't say anything I jus let her take me along. So we walked.

We got down a few flights of stairs and I still hadn't said anything. I was furious, I wanted to run back to Jess an hold her. "Ya know I didn't like you at first." Jen said plainly. "What?" I asked. "Yea, you were an annoying little git…but you grew on me." She added. "Thanks." I said unsure if tha was a good thing. "For what…" she asked. "I don't know not telling me that before all this. Staying with us." I stated, an chuckled. She kind of smiled. "Where else would I go…besides kinda gotten to know you now, kinda like a little sis to me I guess. Jess an I wouldn't worked anyways." She continued to say. I just listened. "Feel better?" she asked. "Yea…maybe." I said she stopped at a floor. We walked in through the door to find that it hadn't been completely under water. It only went halfway up this floor. It smelled moldy, it made me gag.

From where I was standing I could see a outside window so I walked over to it. When I looked down the water was one level below us. Along with a boat. "JEN…COME HERE." I yelled, she popped her head out of a door. "What?" she asked walking out. "I found a vending machine." She said, "it's a boat." I told her an she jogged over. She got to me a leaned out to look. "They're already inside." She said, I noticed a rope attached to the building. I left the window an went to the stairs. The floor they wer eon wasn't flooded anymore either. "Amy?" I heard Jen yell but I didn't wait. I kept going down the second set of stairs an through the door. "AMY Wait!" Jen called out to me again. I didn't care, maybe they could get us out of the stupid hot ass building.

"HELLO." I called out, I heard movement to my right so I went that way. I looked back to see Jen coming out of the stairwell. I turned a corner and pow. A bullet hit a wall next to me, leaving a small hole in the plaster. I froze.

I didn't hear Jen moving either. As I stood there a man and a woman stepped out into the open. One holding a revolver. Both looked like they been through hell and back. "Come On OUT I heard ya Yellin upstairs." The man said. The woman next to him smiled an laughed. I glanced up to see Jen walk out of an office a few feet away. I didn't even see her go in there. The man pointed his gun in y direction. "You two the only ones in here." He asked. "Yes." Jen said. Before I could answer. She didn't look at me. She starred him down, not scared, no. More like sizing him up. Jen was reaching around her back towards her knife.

They came closer, "Okay this can go the easy way or the hard way. We need food and water, this building looks like it might have been full of it. So go get it?" he said, Jen an I both looked at eachother. An turned to go back to the stairwell. "Ah ah…what do you think I'm stupid. You look strong enough to carry shit by yourself. The skinny one stays here. Go with her." he said motioning for me to stay an for his girl to go with Jen. "um turn around." The woman asked Jen. Then she did so an woman searched her. She found the knife and took it. "I guess I don't have to say, don't try anything." He added. Jen huffed annoyed an went to walk back up the stairs. "There might be a vending machine up here." He said as they walked away.

I stared back at the man, then the boat. "Why are you doing this?" I asked him, "Does it look like I wanna talk. It's the end of the world kid. Everyman or himself, now sit down an shut up." He demanded an pushed me towards the floor. I stumbled but I regained my footing an walked over to the far wall. I didn't want to sit because the floor was gross so I sat on my heels an leaded against the wall.

About ten minutes later Jen an the woman came back with plastic grocery bags full of stuff. They must have gone up a few floors. When they got over to us she hit Jen in the back forcing her to her knees momentarily. I went to her an helped her up. Jen rubbed the back of her neck. They threw the bags onto the boat. "When I go, you take her. We're getting that boat." Jen whispered. I wasn't sure if I could take the already feral looking woman down. I should try though for the sake of everyone upstairs. For the sake of Jess.

"That can't be all of it. This building is huge." He claimed, Jen half turned back. To go back down the hall then she turned an sprinted. I dove for the woman next to me and to my surprise I actually connected with her. I sent her flying into the wall. I heard a shot pop off but not a scream or anything so I know he missed. I swung before she could get up hitting her in the stomach. Than swung again wildy not really paying attention to where an hit her somewhere in the cheek. She fell back into the wall. I dashed to her as quickly as I could an put my hands around her neck. The full furry of what I would have done to the man that hurt jess. I held her up by her neck choking her. Putting my full weight in to her. She was turning red. Gripping at my hands and kicking but I had her pinned.

Then I heard three gun shots. "I got two left…I can put one in your shoulder and one your friends head from this distance. Left my girl go." He said, I looked back over my shoulder, he was holding Jen down with his knees. With the gun to the back of her head. She lost. I let her go. Whap.

I didn't even know what hit me. I was down on the ground an my eye throbbed. That's gonna be a black eye. "bitch." She spat as she walked back over to her guy. "Well don't just sit there get your ass over here you dumb bitch." He demanded an I slowly stood. There was little light flying around in my vision as I walked over to him. He stood over Jen, he had let her go but he is still holding the gun to to her head. She looked pretty pissed. She wasn't bleeding so he must have pulled the trigger as they fought. "Just take what you have an go. We won't fight." I said, Jen tried to get up but the woman kicked her in the side. Jen rolled over onto her side an held her stomach. "ahhh." "C'mon really just let us go. You got what you want." I told him an he shook his head no.

"Hey." Someone said off in the distance. And POW. It surprised him. "What the fuck...Fucking liars" he said after He shot the gun straight down the hall at the stairwell door. It was a clear line of sight for him. I went to look down the hall. "AHHHHHHH' when I heard this piercing scream. I turned back to see both of our captor back on their boat. "You two go lucky I only got one…which one of you wants it?" he asked, I stood next to Jen. Then turned an helped her stand as they un-docked an pushed away from the building. "SEAN, SEAN!" someone yelled panicked, the boat pulled away. They took off on the water... I turned to Jen, "you okay." I asked Jen as I helped her stand. "Fine. Let's go, c'mon" she said. I got up still shaking the fireflies from my vision and ran down the hall.

We ran down the hall. I could hear was legs kicking for a second. Lucy was crying. I ran over to door way stopped. Sean was shot in the stomach, he was bleeding everywhere. "Oh my god no…oh my god." She repeated over an over again she tried to put pressure on the wound. It only seeped up between her fingers. He was coughing it up and it was stating to pool around him. "Lucy…We have to get him upstairs." Jen said, "No..." He coughed. "Sean…" Lucy cried. I watched as she started to slip away. I went to his head. Then back to his chest. To help Lucy but it was no use. He raised his hand an touched his wife's arm then I sat up. Jen an I both scooted back to the wall and sat. I looked down at my hands, they were covered. "Honey no…don't leave me please. Don't go." She pleaded with the dying man. I had only known him for the last few weeks but it just seems like longer. If he wouldn't have pulled me out of that tunnel I'm sure that water would've takin me. Is this just how the world is now?

But this, something so small could do so much damage. Just like that, he was gone. I started walking back up the stairs first. I just didn't want to be down here. My pace turned into a run and I made my way to the office Jess was in. I stopped at the door. I jus had to see her.

Jess stared up from where she was sitting and stood. I ambled over to her an sat down on the floor. "What happened?" Jess asked as was trying to examine me. The look of worry came over her an she looked like she was about to cry. "No, I'm fine. They shot Sean. Jen an Lucy are down there with him. I couldn't…" I said as I sat there. Jess stood, walked over to me an hugged my head. Today of all days she decides to snap out of her trance. "Sean's dead." She asked and I nodded. She knelt back down sitting in front of me. Still holding my head up to hers. "No matter what we have to stay alive. No matter what." She said to me. An I nodded. "No matter what."

* * *

 **Okay for all who is reading and wondering when I'm going to get to the maze. Keep wondering, I had this story in my head for a while after i read the book. I kinda just wanted to get all it out. It's weird I know. Strangely I could see the entire thing play out and how it all might have happened for the parents involved with having their kids taken or either giving them away. Oops there a spoiler for my own story. Anyways thanks for reading this far. I will be updating soon. Thank you mazerunner26, your awesome and I'm glad you like it so far... So let me know what you think. Leave a review, review review. as always.**

 **ONE LOVE- _Ray_**


	6. Day 242

**Day 242**

I looked at my watch to see it was midnight. We have only stopped to take a break and I'm lookin at all the kids. They look like they can barely make it further. Jess was holding my arm as we walked, she's almost fell asleep on my shoulder as we walked a few minutes ago. "JEN." I called out but she didn't turn around. She just kept hacking at the tree branches and bushes in front of her. "Jen, we need to stop. Besides we can't see shit out here, it's dark as hell." I complained as she stopped. I left Jess for a moment, shifted Newton on my hip and walked up to her. Jen hacked at the tree behind her an looked on but didn't move. "Will camp here…but were moving first light. I'll take watch first." Jen ordered as she looked over all of us. Hannah, Lock, and Nathan sat down on a log. Jess went to join em.

"I'm going to find some wood." I told everyone setting Newton down. He ambled over to Nathan an Mathew. I pushed aside some branches and moved away from the group. "Wait up." Jen called out to me and caught up to me quickly. "You shouldn't be out here alone." Jen told me. "I come out here alone all the time. It's them I'm worried about. We gotta take it easy tomorrow an stop at sunset." I told her as we walked. "Were almost there. Let me worry about everyone. You worry about jess and that baby. All this stress ain't good for them but yea we'll take it easy." She told me and I nodded. "You don't think…with all this I…" "Don't say another word…you'll jinx it, whatever it is." She continued interrupting me. "Look you're gonna make a great mom. Don't sweat it, till the time comes. "She told me and I took a deep breathe.

"How far have we gotten away from the settlement?" I asked her. "I was actually trying to get us to this settlement at the bottom of the mountain. We've been trading with them. We should get there by lunchtime tomorrow. I just wanted to get to cliff side to make sure they are still there. You can see the lantern lights and the lights of fires from there." Jen explained as we continued. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I asked her, "I didn't want to get your hopes up just in case and you wanted to stop so we stopped." Jen said an continued on. I jogged to catch up with her. "The cliff is this way." Jen said, I shrugged an followed her. Why not check it out.

When we made it to the cliff we both looked over. I could make out houses in the trees. Thought it would be lit up with lanterns like ours normally is at night but there wasn't. "There a way down over there." Jen pointed out. I kept looking for more fires or lanterns. There was only a few lit fires on the ground and still it was only like three or four. "Think it's just late?" I asked, Jen starred then pointed at something. I sat down and got closer to the edge of the cliff. I looked down an too the left. It was about fifty or so yards away from the camp. When I realized what it was I sat up. "Is that a body pit?" I asked Jen. "Yup." She said walking away. We started collecting wood on the way back to the group.

"What does that mean?" I asked her. "The same thing might have happened to them earlier this week." She said. "Well we can't go there." I told her an she just looked up at me. I knew that look, its one of those determined leader type looks. The alpha stare. "Jen, no you can't go there…you won't, I won't let you." I told her. "You and what army. They might know what's this thing is?" she told me. "I' going first light. If you're up you should come with me." Jen added, I shook my head. That place looked deserted. "The same thing that happened to us happened to them." she added. "Right so we shouldn't go." I argued. "I'll go now, if don't come with e first light." She warned me. Anything can happen to her out here. I can't let her go alone. Just like she wouldn't let me "Fine…fine…First light I'll go with you." I told her as we moved.

I picked up a last few sticks that I could an walked back to the rest of the group.

When we got back everyone was still up an talking. Sitting in a small group. Lock and Hannah an jess were up on the log. The kids we sitting at their feet. I dropped the pile of sticks an Jen made a fire.

I sat down next to Jess. "You guys were gone for a long time." She said. "I know." I told her. I heard a lighter click a few times then a fire went up in a blaze in front of us. "We saw another settlement." I told her. "Why aren't going there." She asked "it was all dark. There wasn't any lights in it at all." I told her. She looked down at the ground. "Jen and I are going to go take a look first light." I reassured her. "You should get some sleep." I said, jess smiled an laid her head down on my lap. Moments later she was asleep.

The next morning I woke up with my back against the log. I didn't even realize we moved down to the ground. The fire was out, there was smoke coming from the few smoldering bits of branch left. I pulled Jess's jacket a tighter. She was laying more on the log so I was able to roll her off me slowly without waking her. Sam sat up, "I heard you move." She said. I held up a finger to my mouth am motioned for her to come with me. Jen was sitting away from the group a little bit carving something.

I moved closer an glanced over Jens shoulder, she was sharpening a stick. "Jen" I said, "here" she said an handed it to me. "We're going to down to the settlement. Should take us an hour total to get there an back." She explained "Wait I want to go." Sam asked. "No you should stay here." I told her, tell lock where we went when he wakes up." I told her. She put her head down. "Look we can't all go. Someone has to stay with you bothers an sisters anyways." Jen told her as she turned an walked off. I hugged Sam. Then followed Jen we went right to the settlement.

Jen was right something did happen. It only took us thirty minutes to get here an about halfway down we could smell the place. The woods was filled with a smoke, it smelled like cooking meat but I'm sure it wasn't actual food. Then there was smell. This awful stench that made us immediately tie something around both of our faces. I wished I had body spray, but I'm sure nothing would have helped. I guess they started burning some of the bodies.

As we approached you couldn't help but notice the eerie quite. There were bodies piled up along the path. We got closer, the paths between the huts were somewhat cleared. Just a few bodies still left inside the place. You can smell the rot from them. I didn't want to get close. Jen walked slowly, then I saw a cutain move in one of the huts close to the outside. I got lucky. "There." I pointed out. Jen turned to me for a second and smiled because she saw what I saw. "C'mon." she said. We walked around the hut till we found a door. The person inside dropped something. I guess they saw us.

"Hello!" Jen called out. "Are you stupid? Why are you here?" a voice called back. It was crackly an horse but it was a woman. "Come out." Jen said tying to be friendly. "No, you could be sick." She said, she sounded old or hurt maybe. "We're not sick. Our settlement…" "Were you attacked?" She interrupted us. I looked at Jen. "What happened here?" I asked her. "The berg, it shot up our settlement with these darts. Everyone they hit died. Soon after a few people got sick and died quickly. Everyone who helped them got sick too, it took longer but they all died. I've heard people screaming, some people told me other had killed themselves from the sickness. A lot of others fled. We tried to burn the bodies but anyone who touched them they got sick also so we've all been in out huts since then." She explained. They were going to the settlement and killing us.

"If it's a sickness….it was bio terror. Who would do such a thing?" I asked. "PFC… post flares coalition." Jen muttered. "Yes… it was the letter on the berg." The woman said. "Why don't you leave?" I asked her. "I can't, I can't walk. But I'm not infected, I'm fine I don't need your help, you should go away." She babbled and I took steps backward. Wanting to leave before we caught whatever sickness it was she was talking about. Jen held her han out for me to wait. "Wait…Please help us, where is the nearest settlement. We got kids. We can't be out here in the woods." Jen explained. There was a long moment before she answered. "There's Ashville, but you'll never make it. It's too far." She said. Jen turned back to me. "Thanks, we have to try." Jen said. She walked up to me an took my arm an we both started running. We ran right out of the settlement into the woods.

"How are we going to get to Ashville… we don't even know where it is." I told her, breathing heavily as we ran back up the mountain. "I have a map in my pack. It's on there, I've seen it. We can make it." Jen said between breaths. She said done something like this before. We made it to the mountains She was kind of right then. Jess an I would have never made it to the mountains without her.

We made it back to the group in less than an hour. When we walked up Jess sat right up. They had a small fire going an smelled like someone cooked. "You missed food babe. Did you find anything?" she asked me. Jen sat on the log, "We found something." I told her. "It was viral… you were right Lock. These woods aren't going to be safe anymore because of those bergs." Jen told us. Everyone kind of looked to her and sat around to listen in. "They all got sick in that settlement. I'm guessing there wasn't many left. So were going around this and to a town. It's got walls I've seen them, I've got a map so we won't get lost. It's going to take us a few days but we'll make it." Jen speeches, we all looked up at her.

"Just to make sure. No one touches each other except for the babes. But whoever hold them keeps holding them so not to pass whatever on to the next person." Jen demanded, I kind of shook my head. "There's no way we can all…Jess need help walking something." I mention an Jess hit me. "I'll be fine babe." She spat. I know she was trying to look tuff but she does get tired. I'm normally the first on she leans on but she an Jen was staring at each other.

"Well we should get a move on then." I stood an stood right in the path of their gaze. It hormones an I'm not making excuses. Ugh but I don't want to think about it. She's been talking about her a lot more lately and what they used to do. Then when we were in the tunnels she gets… she get attacked. Damn I can't even say it. If I was there I would have killed the guy. That's why I don't like leaving her anymore. Jess stood, "we'll be fine." She reassured me.

Lock kicked dirt onto the fire and Jen waved us all on. We were walking in the different direction then we came. Jen isn't taking us past the settlement and that might be a good thing. So we started walking.

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 **Hi to all that's made it thus far...is it to your liking. I'm sticking with the story line as close as possible while giving a different experience. That's my goal. There will be No more Past chapters after this i wanted to make Sean's (sams Dad) Death the last one. I might go back in a sequel to this story but for now in this one i will continue to progress forward. As always Thanks for reading and Leave a Review, Review, Review. I like to know what you think. It helps. I'm still ahead in writing this story so I will update soon.**

 **One Love-Ray**


	7. Day 243

**So sorry it took me so long to update this. I had a bit of a family emergency. Hope you enjoy this chapter and will most likly be updating in a few days.**

 **one love- Ray**

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Day 243- night

"Ahhhh get away from me." One of the other girls yelled an I sat up. I rubbed my eyes an looked around trying to see who it was. There was a little smoke from the fire made it hard to see, "You… you have to do something... They're in my head. Moving. It's in my head…." I caught sight of l Lock as he babbled panicking ambled towards Hannah uneasily. Lock held onto his head. Than slapped it a few times open hand, then held onto it again, hugged it kinda. His eyes were black with red splotches. There was something very wrong with him. All the kids started to stir awake. "Get away from me." Hannah yelled as she took steps backward an put a tree between themselves. Lock looked up and Hannah didn't move from behind the tree, Lock than ran over to where Jen was sitting an grabbed onto her hand. We all reared back an backed up from them. Jen stood but he held onto her hand tightly. "You have meds in that bag right….you have to help me… my head…my head." Jen tried to shrug out of his grip. He grabbed onto her shirt too as She tried to get away she looked back as he sank his knees still holding onto her hand.

This was is it. What the lady in that settlement was talking about. I didn't think any of us were infected. "Lock...Let go of me." Jen yelled at him, when he didn't let go she reared back and kicked him in the chest he feel and Jen took steps back. "Everyone get back." Jen ordered and was up becoming very aware of what was going on. Lock took another wary step then dropped to his knees. As he rocked he held his head sitting there. "This isn't like what happened to Ben." Hannah explained. "Did he touch anyone else?" Jen asked, Hannah shook her head. Jen took a deep breath and everyone steadily moved back.

I picked up Newton, Jess had Sonya In her arms. I stood in front of Jess. As Lock held his head an laid there in the fetal position. I felt bad, I wished I could do something. He just kept repeating, "My head, My head." It soon became a slow mantra.

We all moved away an kept our distance. Jen started a fire with the little logs we had left. She turned to me after. I saw her wipe something off her arm as she strolled over to me. "Go on, I'll catch up." She said calmly. I gave her a glare, "Why are you staying?" I asked her, "I'm not, go." She ordered. I turned to Jess and Sam an directed them to start walking. Hannah and Jacob joined us where we were. "Need help." Jacob asked Jen as he passed. "No, I got him." Jen said. "Go on Jacob." she told him. "We can't just…" "Leave…Go, you don't want to catch what he has." she told me. I turned an started walking. Jess followed along with the kids. Little Mathew walked clutching onto Jess's hand. Sam lead the group away. I lingered.

I took a few steps then turned back. I watched as Jen kneeled down and said something to him. Then stood and walked in my direction. She walked up to an past me, "What you say to him?" I asked her. "You have a knife." She muttered an kept walking. She knew he had a knife we all had one. We both caught up with the group. Jen took the lead again and we all followed her through the path she was cutting. That was messed up. But she's probably pissed he might have given it to her.

Another twenty or thirty minutes went by, then we heard someone scream. It was this curdling scream that echoed through the trees and went out with a gurgle. It must have been Lock. Damn. I guess she knew what he would do, but was it any more humane then doing it herself. For some reason I couldn't think. Seeing it, I guess is different than hearing it. I didn't want to think about it. What this sickness might do to us.

We walked till it was starting to get dark. We were getting close but we were all too tired to try to move through these woods at night. "I'll go find some wood." Jen said as she walked by me. I turned to Jess, she sat down next to a tree. I sat down next to her with Newton in my lap. "Looks like we've adopted." Jess said as she played with his shirt. I wish I could be as cheery as her. I let the little boy sit on my lap as Jess played with him. "He's is cute." I mentioned.

I placed my hand on the ground an leaned on it. A few seconds later Jess put her hands in the same spot and found mine. I didn't move it. I didn't want to. Her skin still felt soft. I don't know if I didn't care or what but I didn't think I was infected. I've been all around it an nothing yet so. I better not jinx it anyway it just…

"We shouldn't." Jess pulled away her hand first which I was hoping she would because I didn't want to. "You think Ashville got hit to?" she asked. "No, it's our only chance." I told her. "Only chance huh.." she muttered back. "I would think so…I heard stories." I lied. Even it wasn't true. I had to keep her hopes up. "It's like a town. It'll be safe." I told her trying to reassure her. The last place was supposed to be safe but how safe can we get in this world. I would do anything to keep her safe.

Night came and everyone went to sleep. There wasn't even any fuss or talking like the night before. After we ate granola bars and some berries Jen found they all went to sleep. Jen fell asleep on the other side of Jess a few feet away from us. I sat upward, I was on watch first. I didn't mind I wasn't as tired as everyone else.

I kept the fire going, when I noticed there was smoke starting to fill the woods around us. It was everywhere and creeping in. Some of the kids started to cough in their sleep but it didn't wake em. It wasn't thick enough but still it bothered me. So I stood, I walked over to Jacob who was supposed to be on watch after me. "Jake…" I whispered. "Jake." I said and he rolled over waking up. "Sit up on watch for a second I have to see where this smoke is coming from. If it's dangerous." I told him whispering. He glanced around noticing what I did and nodded agreeing. "I won't be long." I sad as I stood and jogged away from the camp site.

I looked around to see where the smoke was thickest and heard something. I followed it and it lead me up a hillside. The trees were starting to spread out. I moved to the top of the hill and held onto a trees so I wouldn't fall. The smoke got thicker n thicker. As I got closer I heard chanting and singing. Not anything on tune or on beat. It was defiantly people. Then I heard someone yell. I picked up my pace an ran to the top. I wanted to know what was goin on and what these people were doing. They were pretty close to where we were.

When I made it to the top of the cliff I noticed it was a steep fall downward. The smoke was so thick up here it was a little hard to breathe. I searched the grounds below the hill till I saw a light that look like it was coming from a large bon fire. It was over to my left so I walked alongside the hill till I was closer to the light an could breathe a little better. There was a lot people, chanting and dancing around the fire. Then the smoke started getting thicker again. I coughed loud but no one down there noticed. "We the people of the mountain." They chanted while dancing. "Seek Death to all who come against us." They chanted and I scooted back a little. These people are nuts. "Death to all non-believers…" they continued.

Then some grabbed the back of my neck. "What are you doing out here?" I was relieved when it was Jen. She let go when I turned to her. "I wanted to see what it was. Look." I pointed down to the bon fire. "What is it…what's wrong with them?" I asked Jen, she just shrugged. "I don't want to find out. C'mon we better get back." She said. So I followed her. "But what if they leave there little pow wow an come find us." I asked Jen. Thinking of the worst.

"They won't, they look to preoccupied." Jen claimed as she moved down the hill quickly. I struggled to keep up mostly sliding and falling.

Before I knew it, we were back at the camp. Jess had woken up an was siting against the tree. Jacob sat over the fire tending to it. Both Jen an I just walked up an sat down. "How long have you been up?" I asked her. "For a minute or two." She said. "Where did you go?" she continued. "Up the hill into the smoke. I wanted to see what was there." I told her. "What you find?" she questioned. Jen glared at me, "Nothing, just some burning trees." I lied again. I'm such a shitty girlfriend. I should tell her, "Right, it might come through here. We need to get moving again." Jen told everyone who was awake. Jacob went to lean down an touch Hannah. "Don't… don't touch remember. Let them sleep a little longer. Then we'll move." She revised her ordered. Jess looked at me, I glanced back and she gave me this weird look. She knew I was lying. But I still didn't say anything. We've been dating that long I guess she would know. But I don't want to stress her out. That's a good reason. ..right?

Later, Jen got us all up. I must have dozed off. I rubbed my eyes, the smoke hadn't gotten any thicker but it hadn't gotten any better either. We packed up an got the kids moving, than left the camp in the middle of the night.


	8. Day 244

**Day-244**

The moon is high, I know it's around midnight or later. I can't sleep, I know I need it but it's dangerous out here. There's people. They are all sick, I can tell. Jen shot one who was attacking us. There was something wrong with him. Jen just kept firing, but he kept coming and this happened in the middle of the day. She shot six rounds into his chest before he fell lifeless in front of us. After that we walked for a while after but we are still in the thick of them. We can't tell where they are all coming from. We must be getting close to Ashville. If these people got the same idea that would be the best bet.

I sat up, Jess laid behind me asleep. The rest of the kids were still asleep too all around us. Jen sat with the gun on her lap. She hasn't moved, she stood there watching the woods. Waiting to see is someone else was going to come out of the smoke. I hoped and prayed that we could at least make it until morning without another incident.

Jacob sat up, so did Nathan. I threw a log onto the fire. Nathan got up and moved so he was sitting closer to it. "AHHHH ha ha ha ha ha" there was a loud enticing laugh. It came from deep in the woods but it woke everyone else up. Jess sat up startled and Jen stood from where she was sitting. Nathan followed Jen as they walked toward the voice. "Ha ha ha." There was another laugh but it was somewhere else. It was someone else and it was shorter sounding. "I can hear someone running." Jen muttered as she walked across the camp. Stopping at a tree at the edge. Sam moved closer to me with Sonya in her arms. I watched as Jen shook her head really fast for a second. As if to clear her mind, "You okay?" I asked her, she shook it again. "We need to move, I'm fine." She said as she went to grab her pack. "No we should stay a few more hours," I argued. Jen looked around at everyone. They were all super tired you can see it in their eyes. Jen backed off but stood against the street she was standing by. Jess relaxed back to where she was sitting. We all sat and waited for a little longer. The laughing stopped.

When we ran out of logs for the fire we decided to move. Jacob went to go help Hannah but she shied away from him and stood on her own. I held a hand out to Jess and got the same reaction. "No, I'm okay." Jess said as she used to three to stand. I backed away. I didn't like having to keep my distance but if it's what was needed I'll do it. WE quickly put out what was left of the fire and gathered our things. I carried Newt and Sam carried Sonya. We all started to walk again.

It still was dark, we were hesitant to go up the hill but really didn't have a choice. I stayed close behind Jess because h was very stable for some reason. Jacob had Matt on his back an Nathan took the lead with Jen. IT took us longer then we wanted but we made it to the top. And now had to make our way down again.

At the base of the hill there was a field and then more woods. In the distance we could hear the town. We could hear people an mass amounts of them its very loud. We're headed in that direction. "Told ya it would be easy to find once we got out of the woods. C'mon there a road not far from here. It will Leads us right there." Jen described. I resituated Newton as we continued to walk. Other people came out onto the field. They weren't following us but they were walking in the same direction we were. Some looked at us but no one seemed to be dangerous. Jen kept her head on a swivel. Maybe they heard the same sound or had been walking towards the city just like we were. But it was a weird site to see. A human mass migration it what it reminded me of. After we crossed the field we walked down a road for a ways.

"How much further Jen." Jess asked. "We're here." She said pointing down a small hill. There it was, she called it again. I was relieved to hear those words. The kids cheered. Jess and I laughed as we joined Jen at te bottom of the small incline. Jen didn't look to happy about it. When the rest of us saw what she was looking at. 'PFC' was written in big white letters on the side of this wall that in cased a small part of a larger city. The walls were made out of whatever was big enough to stick up there. It looked like it was held together with just about anything.

Woods boards strung across car doors and random logs that held up pieces of scrap metal. "At least it walled in." Jess said. "The letters." Jacob pointed out as he started to walk towards it. "What is with the letters?" Jess asked not knowing what they meant or what they meant to Jacob and Jen. More people walked out of the woods towards the city. "They were the same letters written on the side of the berg that attacked our settlement." Hannah answered. I followed behind her. "Are we sure we want to go there then. There plenty of other buildings." Jess tried to detour us. "No, they would have cleaned them all out." Jen warned us as she walked. I couldn't help but notice the line outside the gate of that place. Everyone was coming here.

As we got closer I could see these men in green uniforms. They were plastic looking in bulky in some areas. They had these weird looking guns they I'd seen before. It was on the military channel. I didn't think they were real. Those guns are able to vaporize people. I tapped Jen shoulder and pointed to the men watching us walk by. More and more people were coming out of the woods behind us. I wondered if it had gotten that bad to the point they need security outside watching people. As we got closer there were others in hazmat suits that were walking up to people am aiming them towards the line. They were saying something but we weren't close enough for me to make it out.

As we got closer I could hear. "Men to the left…Women and children to the right. WE are checking for infected but everyone comes inside." The man said. Then he repeated himself. "Men to the left, women and children to the right. WE are checking for infected but everyone is coming inside." This made some of the people stop. If they were infected, some of them didn't want to go but most of them walked on. It was a strange sight. A lot of them were twitching, or muttering something strange. "Birds and tadpoles cover my roof at nine pm." A man said walking by us.

Sam has jumped a few times because someone screamed out randomly. We were all super uncomfortable. But Jen walked ahead of us with her knife out. It was weird but I can tell the infected looked at us but didn't want to stare. They avoided looking like they were afraid of the children walking around them. I noticed another family walking in the same direction we were. I pulled Jess close to me with Newton still in my arms. I didn't care about proximity rules at this point. Sonya had a tight grip on Sam. Jen looked up at Jacob, "You have to watch out for him. They are going to make him go with you." She told Jacob motioning towards Nathan. "I will look after him." He said as he started to walk in the direction with the rest of the men.

I followed behind Jen closely and we kept the kids between us as best we could. So not to get separated. We got closer I could hear the inside of the place. There was a lot going on. All the women walked till we started to form into a line. It was a long line but it was moving pretty fast. We didn't say anything while we waited in line we just moved with it.

By the time we got to the entrance we could see inside. It was a vibrant city in there. Not like the settlement at all. These people had made something here. I was starting to wonder how this was possible then I thought of my own settlement. It was there fault somehow. "Jen." I said. But she didn't turn around. She just kept walking her were shoulders so tensed up. "Jen do you think they have a cure?... Jen" I was trying to get her attention but she wouldn't turn to me. She just uttered something and kept walking with the line. "in my..he…Yea…I hope so." Jen said as she rubbed her eyes. I glanced up at Jess, who looked at me with her brow furrowed worried.

We got up to the door and we were next. Jen held her arm out, and a man in a hazmat suit took a needle gun out and put it to Jen's arm. He pressed it. There was a whoosh sound and then the small machine on it clicked. He held it for a moment and then it beeped red. "She's infected." The words ran over in my ear again in again. 'Infected'. Like an echo. I must have known somehow. Two men walked up to and took Jen by the arms. Right there in front of us, "Wait…Stop." I went to walk towards her but she stopped held her hand up towards me. "My head feels a little weird. Stay, be good, for Me." she told us and took a deep breath then the man holding her arm turned and walked her away from us. The man took her machete as they walked.

We hadn't been separated since the flares. Where were they taking Jen? I wasn't paying attention when the man in the hazmat suit pricked my arm. "She's clean." He said a moment later I breathed a sigh of relief but was immediately worried about Jess. I went to take a step away but I was stopped. "Babes too lady." He said, it was muffled through the mask it almost sounded menacing, I looked down an Newton started to cry when he pricked him. I was trying to keep sight of Jen. Jess was doing the same thing. We were pushed through the door after I heard "he's clean" again. I knew Newt would be ok. I kept him safe. Jess walked up by me finished by a nother in a hazmat suit on the other side than Sam was next. "She's clean." He said. I didn't look back to see who was next but I heard "she's infected." I glanced over my shoulder to see them cart of Hannah too. Went to follow the man carting Hannah off but I was stopped by two guards. "That area is restricted." One said, I watched to see Jen look back at us. I stayed for a moment before they took her inside. I was pointed off in the opposite. So I walked. I walked a distance before I turned to the strange building again. Jen and Hannah were gone. Just like that. I have to be able to see them.

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 **Sorry it been so long since I've updated this story. Ive been either working or dealing with Family emergencys. On a good note im getting to travel again...I'll be doing a sequel to this in Maze B with the girls... Like always let me know what you think. Leave a review review review review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 _ **One Luv- Ray**_


	9. Day 245

**So i decided to update this one before I tackle one or two of my other stories. Where we left off the group was on their way into Ashville. Jen and Hannah was taken away. Read below to see what happens next. Thanks for making it this fr in the story. Don't worry I'll be able to wrap this up soon so we can move onto the maze and what might have possibly came before it.**

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 **Day- 245**

I've been laying here in this cot staring at the other cots past us. Jess is laying with her back against mine. I heard someone shuffle over to us behind her. "Jess, you awake. Jess." It was Sam. They've talking a lot, its probably comforting. I was happy to hear her voice, made it easy drown out everyone else. "No…" Jess moaned she rolled over and wrapped an arm around me. "Jess." Sam pleaded and before she could get comfortable she rolled back to face her. "What?" Jess asked I think she sat up a little. I didn't move. I didn't want her to know I was awake. "Do you think this place will last?" Sam asked, I felt bad for the kid. Her Family must have been through the worst of it all. "It's got walls doesn't it." Jess stated and reached for her. "Yea." Sam said. "okay so Go back to sleep it late." Jess told her and Sam shuffled away. Jess roll back over and put an arm over my waist. I felt light breathing on the back of my neck. She's always so warm.

We're all in quarantine. At least for another four hours. I think, I'm just glad to have four walls or walls of bleachers I guess and lights. They set quarantine up for people who were with people infected the flare. Which is pretty much everybody. It already has a name. I was told it gets worse than people going crazy, mumbling nonsense and killing themselves. Apparently that is the less violent version. I haven't seen what comes after but from what people in here have been saying it's pretty bad. This Flare has been around a little longer then we think.

I rolled over and propped myself up on my elbow. I felt for her fingers and intertwined with hers, she started to wake a little with the motion. I could stare down at those eyes all night. She's got bed room eyes and I always seem to fall under some spell. She was still a little sleepy, I watched as she came in and out of consciousness.

"Is the room still full?" Jess asked. I glanced up, the cots in the right corner had since been emptied. I smiled nodded. Everyone else was still here. Hopefully we get released this morning. I know it's really late now but there's no clock in here. I've been awake most of the night. Mainly because somehow one of the last people they let in here starting showing symptoms. The guy was across the room but you could still here everything. They came for him, men in suits. The guards even kept their distance. He screamed and yelled as he was being dragged away. They did it in front of everyone. They didn't care that we saw. Right after I got weird feeling. All I could think was, 'I'm just glad it wasn't Jess or me.'

"A few that was in the corner that's now gone. Everyone else is still here." I told her. Jess took a deep breath. I sat up and turned to find the kids. Sam was holding Sonya and Newt was using the cot to try to walk. He was really cute, tiny for his age but that might have worked out in his favor now. People will think he's younger than really he is. I watched as Newt went from one cot to another. Then turned around, the little guy was trying to cross over to the other set of cots we were on. He wasn't very stable but still he reached out for the opposite cot anyway.

Jess saw me paying more attention to something else an gave me a look. I pointed to Newt. He was doing this long stretch for the other side. Jess giggled, Newton heard her and she distracted him. The unstable baby boy fell back onto his bottom. Not affected by it, he jus leaned to one side and crawled over to the cot. We watched as he reached up then pulled himself up till he was standing. Jess laid back down onto her back. "He's going to be a tough kid." Jess said. I didn't say anything as he walked towards us. Newt smiled at me as he got closer. I think he really likes Jess an she has taken to him so well. He's becoming ours it's cute.

Newt etched closer an closer till he was right next to Jess. He tried to hop up into the cot but couldn't make it. Jess noticed him immediately. "Boo… come here Newt." Jess cooed as she used one arm to sweep him up into the smallest cot in the world. I might as well sit on the floor and let them have it. But newton laid right down on her chest, closing his eyes. The babe took the idea right out of my head. I was tired. I laid on my side so they would have a little more room. As uncomfortable as it was I just kept reminding myself its only quarantine. After Jess an Newton dozed off, I did.

A few hours later

"JEN!" Jess screamed and it woke me up. Newt was gone. I rubbed my eyes and looked around to spot each of them in cots around us before getting back to a tossing Jess. She was tossing so hard I almost fell off. She hadn't had a nightmare in months. Only, this one is different, way worse. I touched her arm, sitting up and pulled her close to me; hugging on to her tightly. "Shhhh." I whispered softly in her ear and she calmed down a little. She's still breathing really hard.

"She okay?" I gawked up to see Sam sitting on the cot next to us. I glanced back down at Jess for a moment. She slowly stopped, "Yea, she should be fine. What time is it?" I asked Sam. "Morning time, sun rose an hour ago." Sam explained and I perked up. We are out of here. "Great, I want to check our status. Hang out and watch everyone." I told her and she furrowed her brow. She's like my shadow. "Sam." I said sternly. "Whatever, just don't take forever." She griped and put her legs back up on the cot then laid down. "This place sucks." She complained. "We shouldn't be here much longer." I told her as I stood off the cot and started towards the only table in the room.

The table sat in the far corner with no cots around it. There was one guy who always sits at the table watching us and keeping a log. There's others but there isn't that many. Oh yea they keep doors to the place chained shut from the outside. It's a bitch really if you ask me. They show you as you walk in.

The only time they unlock the door is during shift change. They do quarantine releases at the same time. So there is less of a chance of an incident. They found quite a bit of chain for all of the doors. Trust me I checked.

I walked up to the table the same time this other guy did. There was this awkward moment and neither of us said anything we just starred at each other. We both tried to keep to the Four-foot rule, not knowing each other. "wow… I'm s-sorry I'm really a n-normal guy once you get to know me. "He stuttered. I nodded, I don't know if I ever seen him before. He must be new. The guy motioned for me to go ahead of him. So I walked up to the table.

"Name." the man sitting down asked. "Amy C." I said, "30 minutes… You should let your group know. Someone will come and get you." He informed me, I smiled. "Next." HE said unceremoniously and shooed me away. I got back to our little area quickly.

I hopped over Sam's cot and sat next to Nathan, across from Jess. Sam sat next to her. They were all awake. I must have had the biggest smile. I motioned for Jacob to join us. "we're done, we can leave. We got Thirty minutes or less in this place." I informed them and sat up. Jess smiled widely. "Wait wait here they come…shhh" Jacob noticed and we all turned and looked over his shoulder.

A man in a green bulky suit was walking in our direction. "We were in here twenty-four hours?" Sam questioned. "yea well I'm glad it's over." Jess said. The guy in the green bulky suit stopped about two feet or so away from our group. He waved his hand. They took all of our things so we gathered up the kids and followed him. There was another family already waiting by the doors.

We walked across the gym to the biggest exit. They released the chain and the door swung open. The door hinge was broken on one side so it slammed into the wall. Jess jumped but she looked up an saw what it was relieved.

The man stopped and pointed to a door that lead outside to the end of a hall. There was a lady standing about halfway down the halls. She waved her arm for us to come to her. So we did.

Moments later we met the first smiling face since we've gotten to this place. "Hi." She greeted, "Hello." Sam said eagerly. I just nodded. "Well right this way." She stated and started to walk towards the door. We followed.

Once we got outside I realized how dimly lit they kept it in the gym. The sun stung my eyes. Without the canopy of the tree's in the woods its big difference. "Is that normal." I asked. The woman turned to face me. "Oh yea, you will get used to the sun. It's always super bright and hot. Trust me, this is no-where near as hot as it was. If it wasn't for this sickness, I would say things we starting to look up..." "You mean the Flare." Jess told her. The lady turned around again. "That's what it's called…the flare. Creepy." She continued as she lead us to the front of a building. She actually read my mind. It is a creepy name.

"Just around here, then we go through the market to where housing is." The woman explained and I gladly followed.

As soon as we rounded the corner of the gym I could hear all the people. Some were yelling, most trying to talk over the yelling. We continued till we came up on it. There were stands and carts on each side. "Buckets, Buckets for Sale" some yelled as I passed him. Tents and Larger tarps that they used for shade. There was a couple of umbrellas here an there but they were attached to chairs. People were selling clothes, random items. Stuff you can't really use any more like tablets. I use my phone for its map for a while before the battery died. I do still have it. The charger was in my bag if I ever get a hold of that again I'll be surprised.

I couldn't tell what the currency was but they sold a little bit of everything. There was even food being cooked here and there. The market was about three blocks long. At the very end there was a guy who had a whole bunch of small animals for sale. He had all kinds of cages plus some there were already dead critters hanging up.

We followed the woman to a building a few buildings down from the market. "You guys are lucky, right across the street from transport." She pointed to the building behind us as we walked up the stoop. "Transport?" Jess asked, "Cars mostly and stuff they can' get running." She claimed as she opened the door. The building was breezy on account of all the window being blown out.

The woman walked down a small hall and up a set of stairs. Jess held onto the railing the whole way up. I could tell she was tired an wondered how much sleep she actually got in the gym. The woman stopped on the second floor. She walked the first family that was walking with us into their apartment and quickly came back out. Then she opened another door and directed us to enter. "Everyone works, no one slacks, even the teens." She said one final word then left us.

Nathan shut the door and I looked around. It had been cleaned out mostly by scavengers. There was an entertainment center that was empty. A couch with two burnt up pillows the last one was missing. The walls were coming apart. You can see the insides of the wall in some spots. It wasn't rot from the building being old, all of it was burned. It even smelt burnt. I didn't even look at the kitchen.

Jess took hold of my hand and walked me to the room across the living room. As she opened the door it creaked, "cozy." I stated as we waltzed in. There was one dresser, and a mattress on the floor. You could see where the original mattress might have burned up.

"Think we should go check out the market." I asked jess. She nodded her head, an walked backwards towards the mattress on the floor. "We probably need stuff." I told her, "I think I just want to enjoy this." Jess stated as she sat down pulling me down after. "What?" I asked, I felt as if I should already know the answer. "This place… Without Jen we would have been goners a while ago. She got us here an what…that's it. We just leave her." Jess complained. I laid down, it was heavy thought. Jess laid on my chest. "I don't think there's anything we can do. There's no cure. I don't even think they know about the children being immune." I told her, she nodded. "We tell them tomorrow, lets enjoy this." Jess said as she snuggled into my shoulder. Then it set in. We had a roof over our head that wasn't thatch, leaves and mud. "No pine needle smell." I told her and kissed her forehead. I guess a burnt apartment is better then no apartment at all.

TBC...

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 **Thanks for reading. Now since you gotten this far leave a review, review, review and let me know what you think. ... I have also been workin on a original movie short. So when that's done, I'll let everyone know so you can see it too.**

 **Luv- Ray**


	10. Day 248

**Wow, this took way to long to write. My bad. so enjoy this chap. Skipped the fluff and decided to move it along. So we can be on to the next groups. more maze characters. Anyways stay tuned.**

 ** _One Love Ray_**

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Day 248

Not everyone got an apartment of their own. Only people with children got a apartment or a hotel room to stay in. Not that one is any better than the other. If you didn't have kids well, I jus think it would suck going from one gym to another. I kinda wish we were in the hotel. Not any major reason but there's this creepy lady that lives at the end of the hallway who's in charge of the last three floors. She came to visit yesterday. Dropped off a box full of old military jackets. They been stripped of all the insignia but one patch on the shoulder that said PFC. There was only three but she looked at jess as if she didn't know she was pregnant until she saw us. I guess no one told her.

I rolled onto my side and sat up on my elbow over Jess. She stirred awake. "I didn't mean to wake you up." I whispered, I took a strand of her stay hair an put it back behind her ear. Jess smiled, "You're goin to work today. I don't think you're gonna last one minute without me." Jess joked, I couldn't help but give a cheesy smile. I swung one of my legs over hers so I was slightly on top of her. "My life would be in ruins." I told her as I came in slowly and hovered my lips just above hers. "I'm so serious about that." I told her, I was half joking. I really wouldn't know what I would do without her.

Knock, Knock, Knock. "Come in." Jess called out. I went back to laying on my side. Sam came walking in our room and sat on the edge of the bed. She had a couple granola bars in her hand. She handed us each one. I placed mine next to Jess on the nightstand. "Was that all we got?" I asked, as jess opened hers and started eating. "There's more out there, but Jacob said we should ration a little off to the side so we have something in case we need to run. What if the infected break out?" Sam explained. "Have you eaten?" I asked Sam. Sam nodded, "I'll be out there." Sam told us as she stood and walked back out the room door.

"but you need to eat too." Jess wined still eating her granola bar. I knew it wouldn't stop her. As she finished off her's I handed her mne and chuckled. "see.." I noted. She glared at e for a second. "I'm fine. I'm sure they'll have snacks in the transport." I let it slip. I tried not to let it show hoping she wouldn't catch the word transport. I have to go on a recon trip today. "Transport? Where are you going?" Jess asked, I broke eye contact and laid on my back. "It's nothing, we just need to know what's going on out there." I tried to explain it to her the way it was explained to me. It sounded easier when the sarge said it. I think his name was Lakin.

"Look I'll try not to get sent on another one of these recon missions." I told her hoping to ease her worry a little. "Promise." She whispered. "promise." I whispered back as I moved in for a kiss.

Afterwards I got dressed and stood over the bed. I put my hands on my waist and posed like superman. "that jacket doesn't look too bad." Jess claimed, I glanced down. Its bulky, and doesn't really fit. The one and only random patch that's looks homemade itself. "yea…right.". I smirked. Jess smiled and sat up then she hugged around my waist. "Just make sure you come back to me." She told me and I kneeled down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back later." I told her. She hugged me one last time then I got up. I walked over to the door, taking a look back to see jess was getting comfortable again.

I strolled out into the middle of the living room to see most everyone up and playing. Newt was standing on the coffee table. I walked over to him and picked him up. "Who's idea was this?" I asked everyone. Newt starred up at me wide eyed as I placed him on my hip. "His…he just got up there when you walked out here." Sam explained as she crossed the room. "Are you leaving?" Nathan asked, sitting up from the floor. "Yea." I told them and Jacob walked up to me. "Today ought to be fun." Jacob said as I set Newt down. Newt ambled over to Sam and climbed up into her lap. He started to play, reaching up an attempting to climb Sam like she was jungle gym. Sam giggled and fell backwards holding Newt up into the air. I laughed as we walked towards the front door.

Both Jacob and I walked out of the apartment and down the hall to the stairwell. We got to the main doors quickly and pushed them open. Like always the sun was super bright. I kept telling myself I was going to walk through the market and see if someone is selling sunglasses. I bet they are, I jus have to look. There was a bit of a crowd that filled the streets. Everyone was standing just far enough for people to walk through. Its normally like this during the middle of the day for some reason. Or it has been the last few days because there's so many new people coming in. "Hey you two over there…Sargent Lakin wants to see you." I glanced up to see another fellow guard sitting on a truck Bed. He pointed towards the Transport building. Lakin was one of the guys in charge of the security, Sarge. He wasn't a leader but he was high up there. "Are we late?" Jacob asked me, "don't know…but let's go." I said as he placed his hand on my back and we made our way through the thin crowd.

When we made it to the transport building you couldn't help but notice the groups of guards standing around the building waiting for something. We made it to the front door and walked right in. When you first walk in there just this three-way hallway. Guards walked up and Down the hall with a purpose in pairs of two or in straight lines. At the end of the hall long there's two large doors. I pushed it open. The room itself was huge, there were cars in the back of the room. Two very tall machines stood in the center of the room about twelve feet apart. There was some kind of consul next to it.

Lakin walked in the room from another hall. "I forgot both of you were new." HE said as he approached us. He was followed by three other guards. "Yea but this girl can shoot. I want her on the away team." One of the other guys said. He was tall and fit. HE wore black tactical gear but no jacket like the rest of them. The other two he was with walked off. "I'm Hank." Hank greeted holding out his hand. I shook it. "Hank, we don't normally send girls on away teams." Lakin turned slightly to him. "Look my girl Jess can't pull her wait just yet. I don't mind doing little extra if it keeps her out of the hot seat." I explained to Lakin and he nodded. Lakin then turned to Hank and reached in his pocket. "She's all yours." He than tossed a set of keys in the air for Hank to catch.

Hank smiled at me, "C'mon." Hank told us as we walked by. Lakin walked off back in the direction he came from. Hank led Jacob and I back into the hall but we went a different way. We took too many lefts and rights for me to keep track. I wasn't expecting the building to be this big. By the time we stopped I could smell the outside air. Now that I'm thinking about it. I guess I've just gotten used to it. But the air. It always has this burnt taste in it.

In this garage I jus mainly smell all the gas. In the far right corner there were a barrels. They had a lot of them. I wondered how many of them were full. On the left was a line of Trucks. Two of them were armored up and the last one looked like it was still being worked on. "Were riding in one of those." Jacob asked, "Naw…were going to the one out front I just had to grab something." Hank explained as he walked over to the wall and grabbed a pair of gloves off the cabinet. "Okay, this way." He claimed and motioned for us to follow again.

Hank walked out a door and down a short small hall. It was dimly lit by the light outside. We got outside on the side of the building to see a small parking lot full of cars that had been shredded. Mostly burnt up by the solar flares but also stripped for parts. We walked through the skeleton lot and made our way to another street, there was no crowd but a few guard here and there.

"This way." Hank told us as so we followed. We ended up back on the main street but closer to the truck I saw earlier. I saw the guy who yelled at us earlier still sitting on the truck. Hank walked up to the truck and opened the door for me. "Your riding upfront." Hank said as he held the door open. "I can sit in back." I protested not being able to ride with the guys. "I need you to see where we are going just in case something happens to Paul." Hank told me as he pointed to the man in the drivers seat. I shrugged my shoulders.

I got in the seat and glanced out the window as he started the truck. When I looked down at the far end of the street I noticed people being escorted. At least I think they were, it was really far away. "What's that?" I asked Paul who took a quick glance. He got back to the road and white knuckled the steering wheel for a moment. "Its uh… infected intake two..IIT2, is what they call it." He told me and I starred to try an see what if there was anything else of note. "Why would they need a second Intake?" I questioned, wanting to know what happened to Jen. "I don't know, they don't really like to tell us much. Unless it's needed. I probably shouldn't have even told you about it." He stated and shifted in his seat. He took a quick glance again as he pulled out onto the main road.

I starred out the window as he took us out the back. The gate was a lot smaller only one door; it's just as tall. There was not that many people outside of the back gate.

Hours later

We drove in and out of groups of infected people on the road. They didn't even look like they were trying to go anywhere. Just camped out by the cars. They weren't going to Ashville, they stopped and camped out here. Paul took us right to a neighborhood. Infected were everywhere.

There was a crowd of them in the street. Paul stopped at the beginning of the neighborhood. Someone knocked on the window behind me so I opened it. "Here." Hank said as he handed me a gun, then another. I think it was a M16, but I wasn't sure. I'm not used to using a assault rifel. I glanced at the side of the gun to see a safety. "you know how to use one of those?" Hank asked, I nodded and glanced back at the gun. I started to hear the guys jump out of the truck so I got out.

The Crew started walking infront of the truck towards the crowd. Even though these people were yards away you could see how many of them had been dismembered and was still walking around like nothing was wrong. It was like someone took a hose of red paint and let it rip onto this crowd of people. "How are these people standing." Jacob asked. He was thinking the same thing I was. "C'mon… we got to get closer." Hank mentioned as he walked by us. "Ey Paul, Ride behind us on a slow crawl. I don't like the look of this." Hank called out as he walked. I brought my shirt up over my nose, but it didn't really help the smell.

We got closer and closer to the crowd. There were infected in some of the yards but they took one look at us and ran behind the house to get away. No one else seemed to notice us. When they did they were obviously avoiding us. "Last week the infected here were living in the vacant houses. We got a report there was a group of kids out here. WE came lookin and we found them. but they refused to leave." Hank explained, "Think the kids are still here?" I asked, Hank glanced at me, "Oh yea…there goes the lady that was with them." Hank pointed to a body on the ground about ten feet away. She was badly beaten, there was some food on the ground next to her that had been mushed. She must have been trying to get some food them when she was attacked. Hank didn't look like he wanted to look for em. I felt bad knowing they could be here with no one to watch over them. I wanted to find them but not at the expense of losing any of the crew.

Just to think, that could have been me. We could be here in this hell instead of Ashville. "Guys stop." Hank said so we all did. The group sort of clumped together as we starred ahead to see what he saw. Hank walked back to the Truck and asked for something but I didn't hear what. Paul handed Hank a pair of binoculars. Hank walked back up to us. "Do u see that Terry?" Hank asked as he handed them over. Terry took the binoculars and looked through them. "How the hell did they get those?" Terry said as handed them off. They were to far away to see what they were talking about.

Then the weirdest thing I had ever seen happened. They noticed us. One by one, every head in the crowd turned in our direction. One of the infected screamed something and all at once they started running after us. "What do we do?" Terry asked, "Don't just stand there playing with your dicks boys start shooting." Hank ordered and a barrage of bullets started to go off. I joined in. It was supper loud. Bullets started hitting bodies , shells showered the ground around us. We kept shooting but unless it was a head shot they weren't going down. They kept coming. Then I noticed it. They were shooting something back at us. A small laser line that looked like silver light whizzed by me. Then another, "HANK!" someone yelled, "Yea Hank… I think we should ju…" I heard this woosh of air; all of a sudden Terry was GONE. Just like that.

Wind blew a bunch of ash in my face. I stumbled backward, "What The…OKAY Guys let's get the Fuck up outta HERE." Hank yelled seeing what I just barely missed. At once all the guys turned and hauled ass to the back of truck. I got in the passenger side of it. Paul immediately kicked up his speed heading backwards to get us out of there. "KEEP Shootin if you wanna get out of this." Hank continued to give out orders. I leaned out of the window and kept shooting. We haven't even made a dent in the crowd. I jus gotta say, I like this way better than a nine mil.

Bodies fell as Paul kept backing up. He spun the truck around quickly. Then drove full speed out of the neighborhood. We left them behind running after us. Everyone stopped shooting. "That was way to close Hank, how did they get ahold of one of those guns?" Paul yelled, Hank knelt by the back window. "I have no idea. Those particular guns were at a mountain base." He told us, "Good thing they only had one. Just get us home safe ok." Hank ordered then went back to sitting down.

When we got back to Ashville we drove by the main gates first. They were closed. A crowd of people were pounding on them trying to get in. There were only guard in the towers watching the surging crowd. No one stood out in front but you couldn't tell the infected from the rest. Paul drove by slowly then headed towards the road that will get us to the back gate. I guess when the shit hits the fan it really spreads over everything. This crowd wasn't going to disperse anytime soon. I looked up to see them drop a sign over the top of the gates. "GATES CLOSED".


	11. Day -248

**Once again sorry it took so long to post this. College work is easy but tedious and the professors give us a lot to do. I will be posting again soon and wrapping this up in a few chapters so I can move onto its sequel or prequel. More likely to be a sequel. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the story so far. Leave a review. Let me know what you think?**

 _ **OneLove- Ray**_

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 **Day 248- continued**

"It's a good thing I know another way in." Paul said as he drove off again. We left the back gate behind and started around to the other side of the wall. The crowd thinned out and Paul stopped at a building. The buildings back here are empty but there not apart of Ashville. At least i thought think they were empty. "Move quick before they notice us" hank ordered, infected were everywhere but they were keeping their distance from the buildings. You could see the infected in the tree line, ducking in an out of the trees. They looked extra creepy. All of us got out of the truck and went right for the front door of the building. We waited just inside the door in the hall as Hank and Paul secured it.

Paul then walked down the hall and into a room. When you first walked in the room you wouldn't think anything of it. When Paul removed the carpet from the floor he revealed a big hole in the floor. "Paul, good thinking but you know where this take us." Hank stated. "Yea but does it matter. The gate is closed, no one else is coming in. Infected will be left behind in the evac anyway." Paul argued in our behalf. "What's so bad about it?" I really couldn't help myself, 'The PFC' is secretive. "IIT2… you aren't supposed to see it. This will put us just inside of it. Hopefully it's been shut down." Hank explained. "Let's go." Paul said as he hopped into the hole.

I walked over and looked down into the hole. There was a crate placed just under it. I dropped down onto it than followed Paul further down the dark tunnel we were now in. It led into a series of turns. The next tunnel we turned down was pitch black but Hank had a flashlight. After a few more minutes we came to a ladder with a open top. Then it hit me, hard. It reeked.

Have you ever smelled death? You would know it if you did. It smother's you. Your nostrils start to burn and you get this feeling like you're going to throw up but you don't. Your chest starts to burn next almost as if your choking. As if the thought of a soul leaving its body wasn't bad enough. That oh so sinking feeling never left you. Death, itself affected who ever came into contact with it.

Hank went first. "Okay Let's go guys." He called back to us. I went first. When I got up there I walked around the corner with the rest of the guys the first thing I saw was a hall full of doors. Red lights flashed on and off. I walked up to one of the doors to see a room full of bodies. "There is no cure." Hank stated, I turned around. "What kind of room is this?" Jacob asked as he stood next to me. "Gas chamber; they should have called this place a death camp. All thoes bodies were jus piled up in there like that you can tell can't you. There was too many infected, we needed this Kill Floor. We had to get rid of them as they came in by the dozens. Didn't even know we had it till last month." He told us. My hand flew up to my mouth. Jen is probably in one of these rooms. All of the room were full and the hall, I almost couldn't stand it. "I have to get out of here." I blurted out. I saw a door way leading outside. I ran for it. Bursting into the alley I heard this loud roar overhead. It's a berg coming right for Ashville.

The door across from us were locked but something was trying to get out. "C'mon." Hank yelled as he took off to the entrance of the alley. Once in the middle of the street we could see the berg clearer. "They evacuated." Paul said as walked up next to me. "to the transport building." Hank ordered so we all followed. The streets were empty, you could barely hear the crowd outside the door over the berg as it slowly came closer. "Are you sure they have everyone." I questioned worried about Jess and the kids. "They have a check list…They got her, I'm sure of it." Paul reassured me as we ran into the building. We rushed to get inside just as we heard berg crash into the building full of infected.

Hank took us right took the room. Sitting in the middle of the room was a flat trans. Once again I had only seen one of these on tv. How we had one, I had no idea. I was glad to see it.

Boom there was another loud explosion outside the building somewhere so I ran into the Flat trans. It felt like running through a water fall. I felt cold for a brief second before I stepped foot onto a metal grating. Loud machines roared over most everything. I gawked up to see a vaulted ceiling with all metal walls. Three Bergs just parked there, next to each other as if they were cars. People from Ashville were everywhere. I was in the biggest hanger I've ever seen. "Welcome, please move further into the hanger. Medical attention, food and water is set up at the other end." A man yelled standing on the back of the truck bed. I was beginning to catch the theme here at these places.

Hank and Paul walked into the crowd and disappeared, there was no way I was going to find Jess if I joined em. So I hung back a bit and waited for most of the crowd to do what they were saying. I turned back to the flat trans to see Sam and little girl I didn't recognize walk through. How did I miss her? I ran over to them. "Sam." I said as I hugged her. "Who's this?" Jacob asked as he walked up next to us. I took the note that was pinned to her chest. I read it. "I'm Deedee. I'm immune." Whoever sent her here was thinking the same thing I was. That the children are immune to the Flare. The flat trans shut off and revealed a solid wall behind it. "I'm cold." The little girl said so I took off my jacket and put it over her shoulders. "Where's Jess?" I asked Sam as we walked in the direction of the crowd. "She's in the base somewhere. They got her out first I know that." Sam told me as we walked into the back of the crowd.

AS we walked I could feel the chilly breeze. We must be further north. I walked Deedee right to the medical tables. There was a woman sitting behind the table. "She came through the flat trans last." I said. "She's your responsibility now…look after her." The lady said as she started to look the girl over. The lady picked up her arm, "What's this?" she asked and the girl pulled back her arm. "Let's put a band aid over it." She said as she took a small band aid out of her pocket that was bright pink. Deedee smiled. She examined the little girls arm again before putting the band aid over it. The woman looked up at me. "Just go right through those doors over there. The medical building is he one to the right. If anyone in your group needs medical attention they would have been taken there." she said and directed towards the door that everyone else was walking towards.

Its dark out there. I picked up Deedee and carried her outside. It's cold but they lined up burning barrels all the way to each building. I glanced up to see four very large buildings surrounding us and two about half the height a little further away. There was a series of smaller building with fences around it. All of the buildings were made out of metal.

I walked with Sam and Deedee in my arms to what was the medical building. With all this metal around I felt like I was in a spaceship. Once inside people rushed back and forth. Some in scrubs or lab coats others in full tactical gear. I continued to follow the group of people down the hall. It being narrow didn't help. I'm jus glad the situation was calm here.

When it finally opened up there was this waiting room type area and it was huge. I glanced around the room a little to see If I could see them. There were a few kids but not that many. I would have noticed them. The rest of it looked like the emergency room floor of a hospital. I walked up to a window. Set Deedee down and she ran off. Sam took a step in the direction she ran in. "Let her go, she can't get to far in here. We can find her later. I need to find jess. You need to find your little brothers in sister." I told her and she straightened up to follow me and Jacob. I saw a nurses window at the other end of the large room.

I walked right to the window. The nurses on the other side looked up at me. "My wife Jess, she's pregnant. She's not out here." I told the nurse. "Yes we did have a couple of them come in today. You see all of the outlying bases have all been coming here…yea your wife is upstairs." She said typing something to the computer then pushed a button. There was this quick buzzing sound and then the wall moved. IT slid to the right.

The nurse was standing there waiting for me on the other side. "She's this way. Third floor." The nurse said. The first thing you see walking in is the triage rooms. I followed the nurse as she led us down a hallway. At the end of the hall was an elevator. This place was all tech'd out. Not like Ashville. There's electricity. We got to the right floor and stopped.

The nurse walked out and directed us to continue to follow her. We walked by surgical rooms, and patient rooms. In the middle of the hall was a desk. It reminded me of a hospital of a real hospital, like one before the flares. "We don't have a actual maternity ward here, all the pregnant women was moved to this floor." She explained it was the best thing I heard since I've gotten here.

"The kids were taken two floors up. The families are being allowed to stay there. Some of us have given up our bedding for the families." The nurse described. "Thanks." I said as she led us to a door. She pushed a few buttons on the panel and a door opened. I walked into to see Jess laying on the bed. As soon as I walked in she sat up in pain. I rushed over to her. "BABE…" I said, not knowing what to do."what do i do?" I asked. After a few moments she opened her eyes then starred up at me and faintly smiled as the pain seemed to subside. "Jus stay right there. We got this." the nurse said as she buzzed for another nurse to come to the room. Jess relaxed back into the bed. I brushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed it. The machine next to her started to go off. The nurse walked over to it and turned it off. Then she checked a few things then moved to the end of Jess's bed to her feet.

"We were hoping it might have been Braxton-hick's contractions but…hmm" she said as she lifted up the blanket. Jess grabbed onto my hand and held it tightly. The nurse came back to us. "hey…its too soon" Jess gasped between deep breaths. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere else." I told her. "You have to check on the kids." She told me. "I'm more worried about you." I told her. "Sam and Jacob can go find them." I said. On that note Sam left as if she received a signal from me. "I'm going to get a doc, I'll be right back." the nurse said. I would go find the rest of the kids but Jess is my main concern right now. " where are we?" I asked the nurse before she left. "Alaska."

Jess grabbed my shirt the same time the sound of water hitting floor so I looked down to the end of the bed. Her water jus broke.


	12. Day- 249

Day-249

I paced the floor holding the smallest bundle of a baby ever. Its late or early, whatever. I can't sleep but Jess is sleeping soundly. She's been asleep for the last three hours. There's no newborn nursery, so the baby has been in here with us this whole time. Four other babies were born last night. The last few hours, more and more people arrived through the flat trans. Coming from another settlement over run by people infected with the Flare. They got a name for the infected already too, the cranks. I overheard one of the nurses was complaining to another about running out of places to put the newcomers. Most of this building is full and everybody who already lived here is being moved to another building all together to be able to place the newcomers. There's way more people here than I originally thought. You don't see anyone really walking around, the cold keeps most everyone inside.

I bounced the baby lightly as I paced the floor. We named her Harriet. She has lightly tan skin and bouncy black curls. A button nose, I could really go on forever but I think you get the point. I don't care who the father is, she's mine. I'd die before I'd let anything happen to them. The door made this beeping sound before it opened. A nurse walked in, followed by Sam and Jacob. Sam had this super big smile across her face when she saw what I was holding. The last time she visited Jess was screaming bloody murder. At this point I wish we had cell phones still. Closest we can get to that is a set of walkie talkies. I've seen security everywhere; they have em.

"How is she?" Sam asked, "Jess is fine. She's been sleepin. What did you go do?" I asked her, Sam walked over to me and motioned as if she wanted to hold her. I smiled and held the little bundle out from my chest a little. "They took us upstairs" Sam said. As soon as Sam had a good hold on the baby I let go. Then I turned and walked over to the bed. Jess woke up.

The bed was huge, I walked around to the other side and scooted in. Jess leaned into me but sat up pretty quickly, "Where…" Before Jess could finish her sentence Sam was right there with Harriet in her arms. Sam gently handed the baby to Jess. By the look on Sam's face she didn't id about having to give her up so quickly. Sam gently set the baby in Jess's arms. "She looks like you?" Sam told us, I gave them a quick once over an saw the slight similarities. Sam sat on the edge of the bed. Jess settled into me cradling Harriet in her arms.

"Did they give you a room?" Jess asked, "No they put us in a dorm room type thing, There's ten other kids in there. So about 14 total. They took Sonya. They said they want to keep all the babies and kids without parents together. I found Deedee but they took her to." Sam explained. Jess starred up at me concerned. We were both alarmed by it. "But your we're your parent's Sam…Sam I promised you we would take care of you." I told her exaggerating the last few words. Trying to give her a signal type of look to follow my lead. I hadn't actually said it to her before but now I definitely mean it. I would take care of her of and her siblings.

The Nurse gave all of us this suspicious look. "And what happened to your parent's young lady?" She questioned, walking towards Sam. "This is my Family." Sam said and smiled. The nurse turned to Jess and I and we both smiled. It didn't look like she bought it but I'm not letting Sam get sent off to somewhere without me. At least I would do whatever it takes to stop it.

The nurse walked took a few steps over to Jess as she held the baby. She pulled back the blanket a little than placed a stethoscope on the babies chest. Jess watched her intensely, I could even feel her tense up as the nurse looked over the baby. "Is there a place big enough for us?" I questioned the nurse. The nurse took the ear buds out of ear. "Yes, but there's less security in those buildings but they do have three bedroom apartments. I really don't suggest rushing over there. Some of the buildings are still being worked on. No central heating system yet and it gets cold here. This place is still in the process of being built." The nurse explained. I stared down at Jess concerned. The nurse walked over to the drawer. "You know before I came here, my Son and I was surviving alone. I came to find these people and they gave me a job and a warm bed to sleep in. My son is a lieutenant in the security force we've built here." She continued on. It all kind of gave me an uneasy feeling. We're all supposed to just fall in line. Sounds more like a dictator ship. I hugged onto jess tighter as she started to stare at her baby girl. The nurse finished she headed for the door. She stopped when she got to the door. "but if you still decide to move then, the rest of the kids will come to come in here. Then they will leave with you." the nurse exclaimed taking a few steps back into the room. "Yea that's fine, I would rather have all of them right here in front of me." Jess told her. But her voice was stern almost an order.

I glanced down at her. "I'm not letting them take these kids away from us. Did you hear her. What if she just gave up her son to these people. Why would anyone do that?" Jess argued. "I don't know. We aren't going to be one of those parents. I'm not letting them take Harriet, Sam, Newt any of them." Jess muttered while softly stroking the babies head. "I won't either." I told her. "We just let them take Jen away. Now she's probably gone or dead." Jess concluded. Suddenly I thought of the floor that we came up on. Piles of bodies in the rooms. I didn't see her but it didn't help knowing they all if not most of the infected ended up in there.

A few hours later all the kids was brought into the room. Jess lit up, seeing the kids all together and playing made her really happy for some reason. Then again it could have been the drugs they gave her because she kind of slurring her words now. Unfortunately, they still had Sonya; I think Jacob and I are about to go find her ourselves though. I stood from the chair and walked over to the wall where Nathan was leaning against. "We need to go get their little sister." I said, "Right…I think I know which floor she's on. They don't have a nursery but they got some kind of daycare set up." Jacob described. "I took a stroll found it and a locker room. They had plenty of these." He continued he took a bag off his shoulder and pulled out a jacket.

It wasn't like the jackets From Ashville. All bulky with a hand sewn patch. No these were streamline and sleek. They had four letter on the shoulder that was small. "I wonder what that means?" I asked him. "I don't know. But its everywhere, you normally see it about halfway up the wall. You'll notice it next time." HE told me and I starred at the lettering again. I probably didn't notice because I was so worried about jess at the time.

'W.C.K.D'

A few minutes later I said bye to Jess and the kids. I told Nathan to watch over everyone. Then I followed Jacob out of the room and down the hall in our sleek security jackets. We fit right in.

The sign was about halfway up. Like a small plaque on the wall. I honestly didn't notice it before and they are everywhere. Who and what is W.C.K.D and what the hell did it mean. "is that what this place is called?" I asked him, "I don't think so… its some governmental group…I've heard rumors they are trying to form a government." Jacob explained as we walked.

I followed Jacob down a few halls and upstairs two floors. Everything looked the same but for one hall where I could tell it was dorm type area. A few kids ran back and forth down the hall. This little kid ran by me followed by a lady in a nurse type uniform. "Sir." She said as she passed Nathan. As soon as she got past us she ran after the kid she was chasing down the hall.

Nathan and I both walked into the room she just walked out of. The room was full of kids and no one was watching them. Must have just been her. It looked like a daycare there was plenty of toys but the wall are still metal I here too. There were child drawings all over the place lookin like a make shift wallpaper. I walked around and scanned each of the faces till I found Sonya. "C'mon kiddo." I said as I scooped her up in my arms. "I'm so sorry is it time for her testing…I know it was her and this other little girls time to go upstairs." The lady said as she walked back in the room with the little boy in her arms. "Uh yea… For testing. Umm, were jus sent down to get her. Do you know what they are testing for?" I questioned, she looked up at me. "Yea, were thinking some of these kids might have a natural immunity to the flare. It's an enzyme only children produce. Well they produce it up until the certain age. The program is already at work. At least in the beginning stages, might turn out to be a cure. They'll probably tell security in tell next briefing." She said with a smile. I looked at Nathan, thankful the rest of the kids were with us.

"Thanks… We're going to take jus her right now." Nathan explained. "Oh okay…Whatever the boss says, right?" She said and got back to watching the kids in the room. Nathan and I hightailed it out of there and back to the room we left Jess and the kids in.

I strolled in the room and made a b line to the bed. Sam stood from the chair and Sonya crawled right across the bed to Sam. Jacob walked over to the bed and stood behind me. "Do you think th.." "I'm sure they won't…" I told Jacob not wanting to reveal what these people might have found in kids in front of the kids. Doesn't sound like its set in stone just yet. So why alarm them. I can tell Jess everything later.

TBC...

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 **I have been having a lot going on. School on top of work. So I took my time on this chapter a in posting it. Well i plan on wraping this up soon and movig on to the next one. If your reading any of my other fictions i will be posting in one of thoes soon as well.**

 **Thanks again**

 **One Love Ray**


	13. Day 250

**Day 250**

After our group got over to this building we didn't see any one else outside. The window is porthole size; we have a clear view of the other buildings but that's it. I had to ask around. Why we didn't see anyone outside walking around anymore. A nurse told me that's there's a underground base here. They had to open the underground levels to the civilians. I heard this group has more money than the billionaire who landed on the moon two years ago. Yea, jus a normal guy, not a astronaut. Well they said he had six months of training. The Guy was there his pic the was inside a crater was all over the net. There was so many views it was insane. He was known for doing crazy death defying stunts and posting them over the internet.

Like I said we were moved. Not to where the nurse talked about either. Harriet is healthy and so is Jess so they had no problem with us moving to another building because they needed the room. I pushed jess over here in a wheelchair. Were above ground in the third building, Wing B, second floor, room 203. I've gotten lost so its written down on my arm. The room isn't anything special. Matter of fact the hospital room was better the bed was more comfortable.

This room had about eight bunk beds in it. That's it. Nothing else, no sink or bathroom. Lockers for closets. It must have been normal staff housing like a barracks or dorm. There's a community shower down the hall from us. As soon as we get the opportunity to leave I'm sure that's what we're going to be doing. We had better dig's in Ashville and it was burnt up extra crispy. Everything here is metal and cold. I'm already done with the freezing cold weather and I haven't even been here a week. I know I'm a wuss but this is no vacation island. I should be in Cabo or the Bahamas. Whose idea was it to build a base all the way up in Alaska anyways?

Jess laid next to me on the small bunk bed which pinned me against the wall. Harriet sleeps a lot. Jess has been sleeping a lot but I don't mind I kind of like having both within reach. I haven't been able to take my eye off the two of em. That's probably normal right. I just wish Jess would wake up for a bit. We've talked a little but not much.

"Amy…Amy, are you awake?" Sam asked, I propped myself up on my elbow so I could see her. "Yea, I'm up." I replied. Harriet made a noise and then she woke up which woke Jess up. Then they both started Fussing. The baby doesn't cry, it's like this constipated look where she's about to but doesn't fully. Maybe that' s her mad face. We did wake her up. "Really Amy… I was sleeping. That was a great dream too." Jess said as she turned over than laid on her back and placed Harriet on her chest. The baby jus got back to being comfortable. I leaned in and kissed Jess before sliding to the end of the bed and getting up.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk. We shouldn't be gone long." I told her as I stood. "Come here." Jess said so I knelt next to the bed. She grabbed my collar and pulled me in for another kiss. I kind of sank into that one and the kiss went a little deeper then I would have wished. When I sat back up again Jess was smiling. I couldn't help but smile back. I took a few steps away then we headed out the door. "Hey wait up." Nathan said as she caught up with us at the door.

"Newt is driving me nuts." Nathan claimed. "He's like two…He can't be any worse then you were" Sam said in the baby's defense, "Still, he's going to crawl all over me and wrestle me all night. I need a break." Nathan claimed as he walked next to us. We walked right to the stairwell then down a few flights till we were underground. I want to know, I'm curious about what's below.

Nathan walked ahead of Sam and I. We walked down the hall till we came to a large open room or I should say hanger. There were giant bay doors above us. We were up on the walkway above everything. The walk way stretched around the entire hanger bay. I glanced down to see It's been turned into a small village. The ceiling was high and vaulted. There was only one berg, it sat in the far corner next to some supply crates. The must have been two more because the village is set up in the last two empty berg parking spots.

There's tents galore. Some store brought, some standard military but to many to count. Some are makeshift, others may be made from boxes, crates, wood planks, metal pieces anything I they could find they used. I guess they ran out of space so this was the last place left to place the overflow of new people. There were a few guards walking around the top walk ways. Not enough to do anything major. One walked past us, they each have radios so I would say they're jus here to keep a eye on everyone. I haven't noticed any in our building. The intake here is way more slack then Ashville.

"Let's go down there." I suggested, Sam looked up at me worried. "Oh come on, that row looks like it might be some kind of market. Maybe they have baby stuff." I told her as kind of nodded her head. "Yea come on, Sonya is starting to grow out of what she has. Newt doesn't even have any clothes." Nathan told her. Sam shrugged and headed towards the stairs, I followed.

By the time we got to the stairs we could hear the small village loud and clear. It reminded me of the settlement. Loud and smelly, I followed Nathan and Sam down the stairwell it was at least three flights till we hit the bottom. Once we did were in the think of it. I walked down the aisle, most everyone had chairs set up in small circles. No camp fires, but there were a few barrel fires here and there. We melded into the crowd of people.

As we walked I noticed a medical tent, the front was open. I could only see one doctor and a few nurses. There were a couple people in cots most of the rest were empty. It didn't look like they had many supplies so they must send the ones in bad shape back to the medical building. I walked on past it and we turned down onto what seemed like a main drag. Some of the tents were bigger. I noticed one kind of et up like a restaurant. They had tables and I could smell a BBQ. The talking was so loud everyone was pretty much yelling over eachother. "Oh can we eat, please, please." Sam begged, I smiled. "Go on." I told her, then Sam and Nathan ran to get in line. I followed. The line was long but it's moving fast.

"My son…My Son…Have you seen my son?" I glanced up as I walked and in the distance, was a woman who was running around to people asking about her son. "have you seen this boy?" she held up a picture to some people. Most just shoed her away but others simply ignored her. How could they not see she needed help. I went to walk in her direction but someone grabbed my wrist. I starred up to see Sam, she pulled me towards the line then let go once I was following her. The woman disappeared, the crowds around her over took her. That's odd.

Inside the tent there were a couple of tables and the line leading up to the food. Most people were leaving to go eat somewhere else. Not many stayed an sat they jus got their plate and moved on. We inched forward in line now excited about finding a village down here. I watched as plates of Ribs and Chicken with a few different sides walk by us. Not much on the menu but I was grateful to see it. I tapped the guy in front of us. He turned slightly, "Do they cook like this all the time?" I asked, "No its mostly granolas and MRE's and canned food, someone up top decided to give us a full meal tonight. They said it was a welcome present. I keep hearing them say, 'WCKD is Good.' To people as they take their plates, I'm starting to like these people." He claimed then turned back around as we took steps forward in line.

Within a few minutes we were upfront. I picked up a plate and walked down the line as people served us sides. I watched as they spooned out mash potatoes, and green beans. I took another few steps to see chicken and Ribs but they were fake ribs. The kind you got at the school cafeteria. Better than nothing. Sam got a few pieces of chicken and I glanced up at the lady when it was my turn.

"Can I have both, my wife jus had a baby." I told the lady and she gave me a strange look. "I did hear about a few children being born today. Boy or girl?" She said as she placed a small thing of ribs on my plate along with a piece of chicken. "A girl, we named her Harriet." I replied and she smiled. "Well that's a strong name. Good luck, this new generation is going to need it. W.I.C.K.D is good." She told me a part of me was expecting it, still creeped me out. Like some sort of greeting.

Seeing the condiments, I walked down to the end table and grabbed a few napkins and a couple of sporks. Than I followed Sam to a nearby table. "I'm going to go back upstairs and share." I told them. "Can we stay down here?" Nathan asked starting on a drumstick, I thought about it for a minute. If I was there age I would want to explore. I had seen enough for now. I just want to be with Jess. "If you guys aren't back within the hour I'm going to come back and look for you two." I ordered them glancing at my watch and they both nodded. They each took a piece of chicken off their plates and put it on mine. I chuckled as they galloped away and disappeared into the crowd. I covered my plate with napkins and left as well. I like the place but glad I'm not down here. It's becoming crowded already. I made my way back to our annoyingly small room upstairs.

I walked in the room to see Jess sitting up with her back against the wall on the bottom bunk. Harriet was in her lap. "I got mashed potatoes for the baby." I offered. "she can't eat that yet, she's still breast feeding." Jess told me, I scrunched up my nose. "really?" I asked. "she's only a day old…what else did you get?" Jess asked. "It was some kind of reward or something; they were giving everyone a welcome meal. Ribs and chicken, I sweet talked the lunch lady." I told her as I revealed the plate of food. Jess's eyes widened. "I haven't seen this much food in a while." Jess claimed, I sat down on the bed next to her. Newt and Sonya both got up and walked over to us. I handed them both a chicken drum stick. They both sat down on the floor and went to work on them.

Jess went for the ribs like I thought she would and I ate the last piece of chicken. I ate the green beans and she finished up the mashed potatoes. I set the plate down and Jess got comfortable picked up Harriet who was wrapped up in a tight bundle.

"Babe." I mentioned, she glanced up at me briefly. "Hmm…" she hummed, "I got to tell you something, it's about the kids." I told her and this time she didn't break her stare. " I think there's something in the children that is some kind of cure to the flare. They might have found something in their immunity." I explained and she starred down at Harriet for a long moment. I thought of the woman in the market with the missing son. "All the kids have it?" Jess questioned, "Matt, for sure he was the only one hit by one of those darts. An I think Deedee too. She had the same type of needle mark on her arm." I answered. "Well I hope they can cure this whole thing quickly." Jess claimed as she readjusted.

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 **Thanks for reading his far. Stay tuned next chapter i might skip a few days. Might leave it to the next day we'll see. Leave a review. Let me know what you think. Just in case your wondering. These characters are what the kids parent might be like. And the next story will be about harriet and her friends n he maze. so stay tuned.**

 **One Love- _Ray_**


	14. Day- 254

**Day-254**

"You stare out that window long enough. Your gonna start seeing shit." Jess quipped and I turned around from the window. "There's jus nothing there, even after a few days, I'm still not used to it. I want trees or more buildings that aren't made of all metal, something other than endless snow." I complained as I sat down. We pulled two of the beds together, it's not any better, still better than just the one bed. "Right and I've been all but stuck in here. I want to see this market you've been going to." Jess told me and I glanced back at her. "What about Harriet?" I asked her, "I need to get out baby. Jacob can watch Harriet and the kids for a couple of hours." She determined. "I'm totally okay with it, that place stinks worse than in here anyways." Jacob answered quickly, I miss walls so much. I shrugged. I guess I don't mind, I would want some fresh air too.

I stood back off the bed. Jess made a impromptu crib out of the pillows from the top and our bunk. "Really, I did have siblings growing up." Jacob stated and I chuckled. "yea an hopefully they turned out nothing like you." Jess spat as she set Harriet up in the bed. "Oooo that hurt. Right here." Jacob pointed to the middle of his chest. I took hold of Jess's waist then spun her around in my arms. "Get outta here before I change my mind." He said. Jess took me by the hand and we left the room.

The hallway was darker than usual. We wouldn't have been able to tell from the inside our room. Then the lights flickered on. Then right back off, continuously flickering on and off. A guard walked by. I looked down the hall behind us to see more guards. More than usual, "wait here a second." I told Jess and I left her standing by our door. I ran and caught up with the last guard that walked by. "Hey what's going on?" I asked him as I grabbed his arm. He turned to me. "I don't know, but they got everybody up for it. Lights do this all the time at night. Don't worry about its probably nothing." He said then turned to walk back in the direction that he was going. I jogged back to Jess. "he said it's nothing to worry about. The lights do this." I explained and took under my arm. We walked together down the hall.

I took her in the back way. We walked down a few flights of stairs. I found it by accident, I got lost a few times. A lot of the guards for this place we just around. Normally there would just be one or two here or there but there everywhere. "there's something going on babe." Jess whispered, "I can feel it too. Let jus get to the hanger." I told her as looked over my shoulder and saw a group of guards coming up the hall. I took the left we needed to and headed right for the hanger at the other end of the hall.

I opened the door to the very end of the make shift hanger settlement. At the backend, there are these three big tents which makes it hard to see some it. It's as loud as usual but when glanced up I noticed the guards had been doubled. Plus they were armed. I pulled jess closer to me as we walked. "smell that." She asked me. "they don't have regular access to showers down here." I explained. Jess couldn't stop looking around. I tried to focus and make sure I knew what was going on around me. There's new comers. A lot of them.

The place was crowded and very active. We walked up between the new tents. Just on the other side you can tell what was inside. They were medical tents but there were empty. Jess looked inside the tents as we walked. "Where's all the patients and doctors?" Jess asked, all the equipment was left there. Most of it a mess. A few things were turned over, might have been a riot or fight or worse. There's some blood but not a lot. We kept walking into the crowded tent filled area.

Where we entered is where people lived, the tents were all different sizes. Bunches of them put up here and there some in circles, others in straight lines making walkways. We walked through the small paths between the tents for a while before we got to the wide main stretch that led to the market area. Jess's lit up with a smile when she spotted it and I couldn't help fall in love all over again. The crowd sort of thinned out as the path widened. Huts and tables filled with all sorts of stuff to trade were still out in full force. I saw the original medical tents first. Jess walked off a little and over to a table with trinkets. I walked up to the Med tent. A couple of guards we taking someone away. The doctors stood off to the side but when he saw me standing there he closed a curtain to the back half of the tent. All the patients were back there. I turned to see where Jess went. She was a few tables down but not far. I walked over. There were guards walking around in the crowd. They stopped people and checked them with the same test guns they used in Ashville.

I don't know how jess didn't notice them. They don't normally check for the flare out in the open. Last few days' way too many refugees came through the flattrans and they were ready for it. I came to stand next to Jess. She glanced up and looked at me but didn't say anything. She just went back to looking at the handmade jewelry pieces. I turned to the man standing next to me also watching wat was going on. "What happened?" I asked him, he was tall and had his arms crossed. He turned slightly to me, the wore a scruffy beard jet black hair. "A military base that was turned into a refugee camp was overrun. They said this was only half of them. They had a flattrans, the survivors pulled back to that building. They came here Just like everyone else." He explained, "what overran them?" I asked curious. "the cranks." The man said and walked away.

"babe.." Jess said in my ear and I jumped. What the hell are the cranks. "Yea, what's up?" I asked her. "Look at this…it's so pretty." she said handling a small necklace with a dolphin charm. There was a little blue tone in the middle. I took the necklace and walked over to the old lady sitting in her chair behind the table. "How much for this…or what do want for it?" I asked the lady and she smiled. "Is she with you?" she asked. "She with me." I told her. I looked over my shoulder at jess. She grinned. "For you nothing…You better hold onto this one." The old lady said as turned back to jess. Jess laughed and took the necklace out of my hand. She put it in her pocket. "I don't want to get robbed." Jess claimed. "you're not going to get robbed." I determined as I walked away from the table.

Jess caught up with me and I immediately wished she hadn't. There was a gap in the crowd but a few feet away was someone being tested and I'm sure that they just tested positive. Two other guards made their way to the area and I felt arms wrap around my side and under my arms. I instinctively returned the gesture and pulled her to the side. "No…" He yelled and guards grabbed him by his arms quickly. "I have a family." He yelled and the crowd sort of jus parted they carted him off. We were standing close to him. How close can you be to them now. How much has the virus changed. That guy looked completely normal at least I didn't notice anything. They dragged the man away right in front of everybody. They made a path as they took the man away.

"C'mon jess we should go." I told her, she saw the same thing I saw. I glanced at her as she starting picking out the guards who were checking people as well. There was a bunch of em. "think it's that bad." Jess said. "any one of these people can be infected. Close quarters." I told her and placed my arm over her shoulder. I turned us both around I wanted out now. I took us back the way we came stay towards the outskirts of the crowd. "Amy?" Jess asked. Then I heard a shot and a lot of people screamed. "run." I said as we both started weaving and jogging through the tents. I helped Jess run. Others were running to their tents for shelter. Then we heard them, a barrage of bullets and people running and screaming. People started to run over tents in the panic trying to get away. Jess and I just made it to the outside when we made a md dash for the door we came in. I kept my arm around her waist helping her run. Jess kept up the pace.

We made it to the door and pushed on it. But it didn't budge, it's locked. "is this really happening?" I asked and yanked on the door. I backed up from the door and gawked up at the walk ways above. Fence doors were being closed and locked. I turned back to jess who had her back turned to the Frey.

A door burst open on the far left side of the settlement. Something spilled through moving in a way I had never seen a person move before. They grabbed onto the first few people and pulled them to the ground began tearing them apart. The small crowd of creatures moved through the panicked crowed taking down anyone they touched. The doors were left wide open.

I watched as everything started to fall apart. I grabbed jess's arm and started pullng her towards the door. We moved staying on the outskirts of the tent village massacre. The screams were the worst but I didn't look back I didn't want to see anymore.

We made it to the door unnoticed. I immediately regretted it. The hallway was so bloody, a few feet down the hall was a guard that had been split in half. Guts spilled out onto the floor. I grabbed onto the wall and puked. "Baby, I don't want go down here." Jess said as she went to turn out of the hallway. "I don't have any other way out." I told her grabbing her face and kissing her. "We're getting out of this." I tried to motivate her. I took another look the guard and choked down another round what I had left in my stomach. There was a key card. These cards were only given to the roving guards. I grabbed it and stood back upright. "Were getting out of here." I repeated and held up the bloody card in-between us.

I took Jess hand this time and turned and walked through the hall. More guards laid in pieces. There wasn't that many of them so I thought this must have been where they were bringing the infected. Did this base had a kill floor too. I mean it makes sense but I never told Jess about the one in Ashville. I didn't say anything as I continued to walk. The lights flickered on and off. These guards didn't stand a chance. As I walked past a door I caught a glimpse. It was just like Ashville.

I tried not to react but the smell was apparent. Jess knew it as well as I did. Before I could stop her she turned for a door and looked inside. There were a few bodies that fell where they were shot. A few gaps in the line and pile of bodies in the far corner. They were executed by firing line. "what is this place?" jess asked, "Were these people infected…what is this Amy?" Jess asked as she held onto both of my arms. "Amy…gunshots, the rooms are full of bodies." She repeated. "Was there one of these places in Ashville?" she questioned and I froze. Should I answer her? She was piecing things together weather I was about to answer her questions or not. "they just Kill them." Amy told me and I could only nod my head. Jess's hand flew up to her mouth as I could see tears well up in her eyes. "I never actually saw the body. We were only there for a few days before everything went to shit. She might have gotten out." I tried to calm her. "we have to move." I continued as she took a dep breath. We could hear more screams of people being attacked. Gunshots.

I pulled her along the hall way to the stairwell at the other end where all the doors were left open but one, an exit door. We ran past the open doors to the exit door. I took the card out of my pocket and scanned the card. The door unlocked and opened we stepped through to the bottom of a stairwell. This was supposed to be the simple part. Only when I looked up the stairwell I heard more of those cranks. This whole side of the base was filled with infected. They got out.

"wait" I told jess and we both stood at the base of the stairwell and stared up the middle. "you think infected really got out." Jess asked not daring to step past me. They were piled up at the top and I don't think we could make it past them. We must find another way up.

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 **Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Look out for more chapters, got another one in the works. Shout out felyD for leaving the last review. Again thank you for reading, leave a review. Get a shout out.**

 **Much Love- Ray**


	15. Day 254 (continued)

Day-254 continued

As soon as Jess and I waked back out into the main hanger. Into nothing but darkness. "ahh…Its really the end of it all huh…. people really don't give a shit." Jess told me as she faced me. I placed my hand on her lower back hoping I wasn't in that category. "We still have to get out of here." I told her as I glanced to the wall. There was a loose hanging wire so I pulled it off and tied the door shut. The hanger was noisy, a mix of screams and strange growls. Not all the cranks were gone and people couldn't get out of the hanger.

The only light came from red emergency lights that blinked off and on, every few seconds. Bases and ships used these red lights at night so the enemy couldn't see lighting from far off. They were so high up in the rafters that they really had no effect in lighting the hanger-space below. Jess clenched onto my arm as I noticed a group of people walked along the far wall. You couldn't miss em, they were carrying a torch. I couldn't tell where the rest of the crowd was. It was so dark. My flash light didn't help much.

Finding a wall, I followed the wall to the other side of the hanger to see they were headed towards the berg. In the dark, it was just creepy but this was our chance if any to get out of this hanger. "C'mon." I told jess as I took hold of her hand and lead her in their direction. We ran as quickly as possible and got there just as they went into the bay door. I wondered if they were security. Had to be someone that worked here and had access to shit. In the week that I've been here they never used the bergs. I wasn't sure if they even ran.

Jess and I both Hesitated a moment before we walked up the bay door. As soon as we did it closed behind us. To the left was a wall of crates. They were stacked four and five high. Almost to the ceiling. A portion of the locks were left open but I wasn't curious enough to stay in the cargo bay to find out what was in them. I walked up to the door took out the guard's card and swiped the pad. The door slid open. The hallway was dark, not even emergency lights. I quickened our pace to see if we could maybe get somewhere.

The lights flickered on. Right after I heard voices. "The extra provisions are down here…I think we'll be okay for a few months." A male voice said. The hallway curved a little. "I hope so…I can't believe we're doing this." A woman's voice followed. I kept walking, within moments they were on us. The two stopped in their tracks. "How did you get in here?" the male questioned. He was dressed like a guard. Medium build. Military hair cut but he wasn't wearing his uniform. "Door was open just briefly. Look we got family upstairs in the third tower room C12." I explained. "We didn't live down here. Please help us..." Jess said.

The guard reached into his cargo pants pocket and pulled out one of the test guns. "all the same, just to be sure. If you're going with us." He warned us. I pulled up my sleeve nodding towards Jess to follow my lead, we have to go along with this. Test gun pricked my arm than beeped. The paper showed I passed and he moved onto jess. After he tested jess. He turned back to partner and said something. "They would have already cleared the towers…" "We just had a baby." Jess interrupted them. The two starred at us for a minute but she quickly understood. "They have to try. This way." She said. They both turned around and lead us down the well-lit hallway. The berg started to move.

"We know what happened." I mentioned as we trailed behind them, they didn't respond. "the cranks…They got out." I continued. "yea…that's what part of happened. Loads of refugees came here already infected. We weren't ready for the overflow. The hanger was breached so they locked everyone in. Even the guards." he said never once turning to look at us as he walked. "How many guards escaped the hanger?" I asked out of curiosity. "Shhh… not enough." the woman said. "She might as well know, she said she has a family up there, since they are joining us, this rebellion." He argued with her. "Join who? We came here thinking we were going to be safe. If WCKD is responsible? How can going with you be a good thing too." Jess stated. For a second there, I was proud. "I don't want to fight anymore, I just want my baby." Jess continued. I grabbed onto her hand and squeezed a little. I couldn't do much but what little comfort I can give helps.

Jess glanced over at me and gave me a worried smile telling me she was okay. "WCKD started this whole thing, someone has to try and stop them. My brother and I have been stocking this berg for a occasion like this. We knew they wouldn't be able to sustain against cranks. We're getting out of here now. Plan is to go back to the US. I'm thinking there's no cranks in the west yet..." He explained. I nodded agreeing. "after what I've seen in Ashville and here I think finding a place with just a few people might be a good idea. We're in." I told them. Jess nodded.

"WCKD only looks out other WCKD. I wasn't ever in one of the outlying bunkers. I couldn't believe it when heard the horror stories." The woman added. They lead us to the bridge. "This is what we're doing now. It has to count for something." He said as we entered the cockpit of the berg.

The first this you notice is the big windshield that span from wall to wall. Various stations with different nobs and button I had no idea what they were for. For a moment, I wished we were in something a little sturdier maybe a plane. "Think the +

others had the same idea." A woman asked as she approached us warily. "These two did. We're helping them, she needs to go back in. She needs to be able to get around" He said walking over to where the pilot was sitting. "I have a card." I held it up. "That makes things easier. Here you can pose as one of us." One of the other women guards walked over to me handed me her jacket. Since I was wearing black pants the jacket would help me blend in easier. The jacket was nice and thick, I could feel the metal plates. Maybe I should have been a guard too.

The berg rose higher, no one in the hanger seemed to notice it. If not, they were staying away from it. "Take it up to the roof of tower three." He ordered. Jess and I watched as we came out of the hanger and raised higher into the sky above one of the buildings. Some of the other guards left the room.

"There's a hatch, and a hatch door on each floor. It lets out into the hallway. Your floor is two floors down." He explained as he opened the hatch door in the middle of the bridge. They're hovering high enough so that I can jump down. "Here." One of the guards said as he went to hand me a gun. I showed him the one I had and he took out he mag and handed it to me. "Just in case." He said. "I'm Bryan, this is my little brother Kells, the rest you can meet when you get back." Bryan said. "How will I signal you?" I asked him. "here, take these." He said as he handed me a walkie and flare. "We'll look out for it if we can't get a hold of you on this." He explained. I nodded then walked over to Jess and hugged her. She held on for a second and kissed me. When we let go we each smiled. I had a good feeling about this. The kids were safe in the room so I don't think they would have moved when everything went down.

I jumped onto the roof. There was a loud clank when I landed. The hatch was a few feet to my left. The cold it me like a ton a brick as I moved to the hatch quickly. I pulled the latch opened it up and climbed down the ladder, closing the hatch door behind me. There wasn't much of a temperature difference. I gripped onto the cold metal ladder as I moved down. I could hear people and cranks still in the building.

I moved down two levels and stopped. Opening the hatch; the hall was dark. There's no lights at all, I took out my flashlight moving further down the hall. Nothing happened here but for the few papers on the floors the lights being out was the only thing that alarmed me. No blood splatters or body parts. I turned the next corner and found my room door quickly. Getting in, scanning the room first. One of the bunk beds had been turned over. A set of feet laid behind it. I took a few steps to see it was Jacob. A small pool of blood was next to him so I didn't get any closer. The door to the back room was tied so I walked up to the door, took off the sheet and opened it.

Sam sat just inside the door, with her head burred in arms. I scanned the rest of the room. I walked over pulled Sam to me hugging her. None of the kids were here. They're gone. "Sam… Sam what happened?" I asked her. I let her go a little, "I thought the guards were coming in to help us. This lady took Harriet right out of my arms and Nathan, he fought them. Tried to. They took him too. I tried… I tried to stop them. Newt and Sonya," She gave a fragmented statement. I shined the light close to her face to see a fresh black eye. I had no idea of what to do but I know I must get her out of here. "C'mon, we gotta get out here." I told her.

I stood Sam up still hugging onto to her closely so she would have to look at Jacobs body. These bastards kill people so easily. I picked up my bag, Sam grabbed hers from the bigger room. We walked up to the door and walked out into the hall. It was still dark. Red emergency lights were turned on. Sam stayed close to me as we moved. Then we heard it. This long screech. "What was that?" Sam asked. "Shhh." I told her as I took out my gun. "Where'd you get…" I put my finger over her mouth before finish. I could hear footsteps running. "Just c'mon." I said as I started to run pulling her along the hall.

Then there was more screeching, it was an awful sound. I couldn't tell where it was coming from but it got louder. We quickened our pace and running as fast as we could to get around the next corner. As soon as I did something hit me hard. I fell to my back, "AHHHH." As I tried to fight this thing off me. It scrambled to catch a grip scraping and scratching my arms. Nothing was getting through this coat. I just kept moving punching and holding its head up by its neck so it wouldn't bite me. I dropped the gun. Sam stood back, and kept backing up. I gawked up at her, she was scared, "SAM." I called out to her looking at her then the gun as this thing kept snapping at my face. There was something in its mouth, it's not a tongue. Then it started jus ripping and tearing at whatever it could grab on me. My coat started to rip. "SAAAAMMM" I called out and then there was a gun shot. The crank fell lifeless on top of me. I pushed the body off me.

"Did it bite you?" Sam asked as she helped me stand. "No…I don't think so." I told her, I didn't feel anything. I lifted my shirt and shinned the light on my skin; taking a good once over. Its claws didn't get through the thick coat. Thank God. "Check my back." I told Sam. I handed her the flashlight and lifted my shirt again. "Nothing, I don't see anything." She said. "you sure…no scratches, no bites." I asked her. "there's a cut but it doesn't look fresh." Sam told me, "I think I got it the other day." I explained. There was more screeching so we decided to move again. I made a hand motion to the left, started walking and Sam followed.

Sam and I walked all the way to the other end of the corridor away from the screeching sound the cranks would make. As we walked we found the elevator signs and followed them. When we got to the elevators we approached slowly. As I got closer I could hear it. Eating. Someone chewing meat and the sounds of another tearing flesh from a body. I didn't want t to look but I had to. I needed to know how many. Maybe I could take a few on by surprise.

I peeked my head around the corner to see a few cranks knelt over someone and eating them. Two cranks dug their hands into someone torso pulling out an organ and biting into it. Freaked out, I stood upright. "Can't go that way." I whispered. Sam walked ahead of me as I kept an eye over my shoulder. We walked back the way we came. I was ready to look for more elevators when Sam stopped right in front of me. "What about this… isn't this the trash shoot." Sam asked me. "I knew I adopted you for a reason." I said kissing Sam on the forehead.

I moved to the shoot and lifted the latch on the hatch door to the shoot. Once it opened and I went to lift the door the was a creek. It was loud. I stopped for a second and started to move it again but could stop the sound even if I moved slow. "We gotta hurry." I determined and Sam hurried up and got into the shoot. "I'll be right behind you." I told Sam. She looked down the shoot then look up before she let go of my hand and fell.

Cranks rounded the corner, spilling over each other as the ran into the wall. Having no sense of direction. I fired off two shots, then I heard more coming our way. How many were there? Seeing it was helpless I put myself in the shoot and slid down.

At the bottom, I stood up off snow. "Are you okay?" Sam asked and I nodded. There were no infected outside yet. Somehow, they managed to keep them trapped inside. I glanced up to see the berg still hovering over the buildings and I wondered if they could see us. I still had the flares. "Amy look!" Sam said as she pointed to a well-lit area. Then something started to move. "Let's go." I said as we started to walk towards it.

There was a train, guards stood all around it and on top of the train. Keeping people back. They weren't letting anyone board. Everyone was trying to get on the train. The train rumbled to life and I watched as the train started pull to off. The people started yelling and screaming. They were following trying to get on not caring if they were going to get shot. Who was on the train?

The guards standing on it shot their guns in the air a few shot their guns at people. I grabbed Sam. "But the train…" She protested. "We can follow in that." I told her pointing up to the berg. Sam starred up at the berg. "But that's a… We can't..." "Jess is up there, were getting out of here." I said as I walked into the clearing away from the buildings. Where there was enough space to land. I took the walkie talkie out of my pocket.

"I've got Sam… You have to come get us now." I said over the radio. "Amy…Where's Harriet." That was Jess.

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 **Thanks for reading, hope everyone had a good Christmas break. I'm ready for this new year. Thank for the reviews and I'll be sure to put up the next chapter soon. (Webelongtothemaze) Your awesome thank you for your review.  
**

 ** _One Love- Ray_ **


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